Fifty Shades Onwards
by isabelbelle
Summary: A story about the Grey's after being married for nearly seven years. What is life like for Christian and Ana with two young children? They want their lives to be normal, but how normal can your life be when you're part of the Grey family? Trying to be as lifelike as possible .
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: This is my first ever fanfiction and I haven't written fiction in a while. Let me know what you think of if I need to change anything. I love constructive criticism! I've edited this since I screwed up my tenses in conversation. I think it's okay now. Let me know!**

**Enjoy.**

_Ana POV_

As I lie in bed next to my dead-to-the-world asleep husband, I think about how my life has played out over the past six, nearly seven years. I think about my Christian, and my two precious children Theodore and Phoebe. At six and four they're both constantly on the run, but thankfully both my babies didn't inherit any anger issues like their father. They're both my perfect little angels.

In all seriousness, Christian and I weren't prepared for either child. Teddy was only 18 months old when I found out I was pregnant again, I guess we weren't being as careful as I had thought. As an only child, and after having Teddy, I always knew that I wanted to have more than one child, but it was a huge shock to both of us when we found out we were having little Phoebe. Ah, my gorgeous Phoebe Grace Grey, with her namesake coming from her grandmother who helped deliver her. I may have gone into early labour at the Grey's house in Bellevue, and needed to be taken to the hospital for my C-section immediately, and Grace was there with me until Christian came.

Teddy was Christian's mini-me, with curly copper hair but my blue eyes. Everyone had thought Phoebe would be the complete opposite and be my twin, except I guess the Grey genes are way too dominant. She had my brown hair, but it was in the cutest ringlets you could ever imagine, and she had those piercing grey eyes of her fathers. Thankfully they were usually in puppy-dog mode so they were easy to deal with. The rest of her face, I've been told, is exactly like me a child (I don't see it) which makes Christian's job of disciplining her very hard. She has him wrapped around her little finger, a true daddy's girl.

The whole Grey family had grown in the past seven years, along with Teddy and Phoebe, Elliot and Kate have their children Ava (who is five months older than Phoebe) and their six month old daughter Eden. Elliot had hoped for a boy, but Kate told me they'd be going for another one, so maybe third times the charm.

Mia and Ethan have officially been married for a year now, and Ted, Phe and Ava were all in the wedding. There might be another Grey on the way soon, but I do hope they wait since they're still only newlyweds, and I'd like to see at least one Grey couple have a few years of marriage without babies.

All this thinking of babies has gotten me down. Christian once told me he wanted lots of children, but nothing has happened since Phoebe. In an effort to keep age gaps low, we'd tried to conceive again when Phe was nearly two, but it wasn't meant to be. After actively trying for a year we decided to let nature take its course, I'm actually really hoping to start waking up to nausea.

I snuggle closer to my husband and rest my head on his chest. I start to feel him move and realise I've woken him.

"What are you doing awake? It's nearly four in the morning," he asks in a groggy voice.

"I'm sorry I woke you baby, I just couldn't stop my brain," I say as I cuddle him closer and feel his arms tighten around my torso.

"Mmm, your face is looking a little sad though Ana. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine Christian, I'd just really like to relax and go back to sleep,"

"Well, I think I know something that could make you relax," And with that I feel Christian's hand start to make circles on my stomach and then start to move lower.

"Ah baby yes, keep going,"

I feel Christian slide my panties down and he cups my sex, then entering two fingers into me while his thumb rubs my clit.

"Oh Christian, please," I whimper as he started to pump his fingers in and out faster than before.

"Let go baby, let go," I hear Christian say as I come all over his fingers.

I lay there panting and smiling up at my husband. I can feel his erection through his pajama shorts as he moves to slide my panties up to their original position.

I try to return the favour but Christian vehemently refuses, insisting that I was being treated tonight, well this morning. I turn so his chest is to my back, and with his arms around me and his face in my hair, I fall asleep.

* * *

I wake to the feeling of my mattress moving, and I realise my two little babies have yet again decided to jump into bed with us. I hear Christian trying to shush their giggling, but too late, I am already wide awake.

I jump up and grab them around the waist and pull them into me for a cuddle. I kiss their chubby little cheeks and let them go so they can crawl under the covers with me.

When Teddy was around two years old, and had learnt how to manoeuvre out of bed and into our room, we knew that sleeping naked was a thing of the past. We still sleep in the bare minimum, me in his t-shirt and some panties, and just pajama shorts for him, but we're fine with it since nothing beats morning cuddles and kisses.

I look to find that Christian is sitting upright and has placed Teddy in his lap, getting a full review of his son's latest dream. I sit up the same way and cradle my four-year old as if she were a newborn. I wrap the sheet around her and cuddle and rock her close to me. She must have had a bad night's sleep since I can already see her little eyelids start to droop.

"Look, it's baby PhePhe, does she want to have a little sleep?" I ask as I kiss her nose.

"I'm not a baby mama, I just wanted to snuggle," Phoebe says in a little voice as she yawns.

I see Christian and Teddy look our way, and have Teddy demand the same treatment from his father, but not before placing a kiss on Phoebe's curls.

"Oh do we have two sleepy babies now?" I ask to no one in particular as Christian tries to somewhat awkwardly rock our six-year-old, who was completely healthy but a little on the small side.

"Mmmmm," I hear Teddy murmur as I kiss his forehead.

Christian does the same to Phoebe, and we both lean back on the headboard with our sleeping children still in our arms. I really do love Saturdays.

"See, this is why I want another baby," I whisper, "Imagine this but with a tiny newborn."

"I know baby, it will happen. I promise you we will have at least one more," Christian says as he smiles down at Teddy.

I rest my head back and close my eyes, wishing with all my might that it will happen soon.


	2. Chapter 2

******Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Thank you for the positive reaction to my first post! I wrote the first chapter on a whim so I'm still a little unsure to where my story is going. This is kind of a filler chapter to keep getting the back story of the past sixish years. Let me know what you think! :)**

* * *

_Ana POV_

Christian woke us all an hour later at about 8am so we could all eat breakfast together. As Gail was off on weekends as usual, we sat the kids at the breakfast bar so they could watch Christian and I cook. Well I cooked, while he tried to be helpful. By that I mean he was hugging me from behind, and entertaining the children with music and funny faces.

We all sat down together at the table and dug into our pancakes, eggs and bacon. Christian and I had talked about asking the kids whether or not they would want another sibling, and I guess there was no time like the present.

"Ted. Phe. I have a question for you," This certainly caught their attention, and their fathers who caught on pretty quickly. "How would you feel about having a baby brother or sister?"

A high pitched squeal erupted from Phoebe's mouth as she yells "Yes, please! I wanna little sister!"

I smile at her.

Teddy is a bit more reserved, but agrees that having a baby would be "pretty cool."

"Now guys, I don't want you to get your hopes up, your Mom actually isn't pregnant right now, but we just wanted to see how you felt about it," Christian tells them.

We received a couple of confused looks from both.

"Yeah, well, we aren't having a baby just yet. But we'd like to and now we know you would too," I explain to them.

"I want you to have lots and lots of babies Mama!" My darling Phoebe exclaims.

"Me too angel, me too," I say quietly and we all went back to eating.

It had been an exhausting day of playing with the kids in the meadow, and Christian and I were lying in bed after one pretty amazing love making session. Unprotected, of course.

"You know, you probably shouldn't have gotten their hopes up for a baby Ana," I hear Christian say in his warning tone.

"Yeah, I guess," I concede. "I just wanted to know how they felt about it. I wouldn't want them to be angry or feel jealous about it if we just sprung it on them."

"Point well made, love."

Christian leans down to kiss my stomach and whispers "I hope tonight worked, I would really like to have myself a mini-Ana."

"Me too," I say as I cuddle deeper into his arms and fall asleep to his steady heartbeat and rhythmic stroking of my hair.

* * *

Weekends always go by too fast for my liking. It's the only time Christian and I have full days with the kids. I went back to full time work at Grey Publishing when Phoebe turned four and started full days at pre-school. GP had been merged into Grey's Enterprises Holdings when Teddy was born and I'd wanted to play the part of full-time mommy. Christian and my business partner Kim Lowell were put in charge to run GP, but I still had some say. I'd started doing part-time work by the time Teddy was one but that didn't last long with Phoebe coming along so soon.

I could stay in bed and muse about work and my children, but its Monday morning and I should probably be getting the kids ready for school and myself ready for work.

Christian was already awake and I could hear the shower running, so this is probably the best time to try and drag Teddy and Phoebe out of bed.

I walk into Teddy's room and see him sprawled out spread eagle with all his covers twisted. My boy is not a gentle sleeper. I walk over to his bed and sit down on the edge. His face is so sweet and angelic. I push his curls out of his face and kiss his forehead.

"Time to wake up Teddy bear," I say while stroking his face, "You need to get ready for school."

The only response I get is an angry little grunt. This happens every morning. Teddy is definitely mine, we both hate getting up early. I hear footsteps behind me and turn to see Christian leaning against the door frame.

"Okay buddy, you really need to get up now. No complaining."

I sigh and walk towards Christian, giving him a quick kiss.

"I'll stay and get Teddy ready, you go wake and dress Pheebs," he says and smacks me on the butt as I walk out of the room.

I walk down to Phoebe's princess room and I can hear some little tiny whines. Jeez. What is wrong with my children this morning? Life would be so much easier if they'd been born morning people.

Phoebe is softly crying with her face in her pillow. I grab her and cuddle her to my chest.

"Baby girl, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" I say softly in her ear.

"Mama, mama," is all I get as a reply.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

She nods and I wipe her tears from her cheeks with my thumbs.

"It's okay baby girl, it wasn't real. Mama's here and she loves you okay?" I pout my lips at her and she grabs my face, copies my facial expression and kisses me on the lips.

I put her down and go to her closet, picking out a cute little pink and purple long sleeve dress, purple leggings and her favourite pink converse. I can't get her out of them. It's either converse or uggs for my Phoebe. It's also either pink or purple for Phoebe; she chucks a fit anytime we try to introduce new colours to her wardrobe. It's driving Christian crazy which I find hilarious.

I pick up my dressed but still teary daughter to carry her downstairs to have some breakfast. She's getting so big now that I actually need to use both arms and my hip to hold her steady. I see Christian walk out of Teddy's room with him on his shoulders, clearly someone cheered up once I had left. Teddy is wearing his first grade uniform of a white shirt, beige pants and navy jumper. He looks simply adorable. He's attending one the most prestigious private schools in Seattle. Phoebe is in their preschool program but thankfully does not need to wear uniform. I shudder to think of the struggle we will have to put a uniform on her if it's not purple or pink.

I sit Phoebe in her booster and Christian and Teddy are in their seats while Gail brings us our breakfast of eggs on toast. We all try to cheer Phe up by making faces at her but it's really not working. It's going to be a long day.

I'm not feeling too great myself this morning. I don't think it's anything serious, I just don't feel right. I will not think anything of this. I refuse to get my hopes up.

I help Christian get the kids into the SUV and kiss them both on their cheeks before kissing Christian goodbye. What I thought would be a light kiss turns us both into panting messes. Christian rests his forehead against mine as we both try to recover.

"Goodbye baby, I love you," he tells me as gets in the passenger side of the SUV.

"Love you too."

* * *

I walk back inside and start feeling really weird again. I'm not meant to start work till 9:30 this morning so I might go sit on the couch with some tea and relax before I shower and go to the office.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Thank you for all your reviews, favourites and follows! It keeps me motivated to write. Hope you enjoy this chapter :)**_  
_

_Ana POV_

*BEEP BEEP*

Ugh, what is that noise? I roll over to the source of the sound. It must be my Blackberry. I open my eyes to find myself on the couch in the living room. What the hell? I grab my phone and check the time, 12:15pm. Again, what the hell?! I'm supposed to be at work, why didn't anyone wake me? There is a little email icon flashing on my screen, probably Christian. Maybe he can shed some light on this situation.

* * *

**From:** Christian Grey

**Subject:** Missing wife

**Date: **September 3 2018 12:14pm

**To: **Anastasia Grey

Dear beloved wife,

I got a call ten minutes ago from Kim to say you had not turned up for work. I called Sawyer and he said you've been asleep on the couch since I left this morning. I would have chastised him for not waking you but he says you look pale and ill.

What's going on? I will not hesitate to send my mother over to check on you. I have already let Kim know that you will not be coming in for work today.

I'll be in a meeting till about one but please email me back.

Christian Grey

Sick with worry husband and CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.

* * *

Well great, not only have I missed work, but I have worried my husband and apparently I look like crap. What a great day this is.

I decide to go the bathroom and check myself out, Sawyer is probably overreacting. I look in the mirror to see an extremely pale and clammy looking version of myself. I check my glands, not swollen. I don't feel like I'm getting an infection or anything. I just feel exhausted, even after my nap. I should probably email Christian back before he sends an entire hospital to the house.

* * *

**From:** Anastasia Grey

**Subject:** Your wife is fine

**Date:** September 3 2018 12:20pm

**To:** Christian Grey

Dear worried husband,

I am fine. I think. I felt nauseas and tired after you all left and went to relax on the couch and I must have fallen asleep. I don't have any signs of infection or disease so please don't bother Grace about coming over. I think all I need is a good hug.

We can talk about it when you get home. Thank you for figuring out all my work things.

Miss you and love you.

Your Ana.

Anastasia Grey

Co-President, Grey Publishing.

* * *

I walk back into the kitchen to realise that Gail is not here, probably doing the weekly shop.

Maybe some tea will make me feel better, plus I need something to do while I wait for Christian to reply.

Speak of the devil; that man types like a machine.

* * *

**From:** Christian Grey

**Subject:** Still worried

**Date:** September 3 2018 12:23pm

**To:** Anastasia Grey

Mrs Grey,

Your email did not really calm any of my worries about your health. I will not be sending my mother over but I will be coming home after my meeting is finished.

We definitely do need to talk. I will come bearing presents for you.

I'll see you at about 1:30pm.

I love you too.

Christian Grey

Secretive CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.

* * *

Sigh. I had a feeling that he would do this. Whenever I or one of the kids gets sick he drops work to look after us. It's sweet, but unnecessary. I feel for poor Ros who has to pick up the work, but Christian gave her a massive pay rise when Phoebe was born so I think she's okay with it.

I decide to have a long bath; it really helps me to relax. I'm going to have the Christian Grey special of Jasmine bath oil and bubbles, my favourite. If only he was here with me.

I watch myself in the mirror as I strip down, and I notice that some parts of my body are getting a little pudgy. I poke my stomach, which after a light breakfast and no lunch is still poking out a little. Maybe I'm bloated? My breasts are also a little bigger. They got massive when I had Phoebe and haven't really changed that much since then, but they do change when my weight fluctuates. Probably just an early reaction to my period, ever since I stopped birth control I get these weird signs before my cycle starts.

I sink down into the bath and think about whether or not I could be pregnant, I have some of the signs but I swear that I had my period last month, and I was due for my next one soon. I really need to keep a calendar of these types of things. I guess I'll talk about with Christian when he gets home.

* * *

I sit on the bench on the porch and watch the Audi SUV drive through the gates. As soon as Taylor stops the car Christian all but runs to me and hugs me to his chest, with a plastic bag in his right hand.

"You said a hug would make you feel better, so here I am!"

"Thank you baby. What have you got there?"

"Oh, just some lunch and a special little present," he tells me with a wink.

"Um, okay then Mr Secretive. Let's inside and eat, I'm starving."

He grins at me and pulls me along into the kitchen and seats me at the breakfast bar.

"You know, you don't really look that pale Ana."

"Yeah I'm feeling much better now, and I had some tea," I reply with a smile, "Can I have my present now?"

"No, only after you've eaten. We need to talk about it first."

I agree and practically inhale my chicken and avocado focaccia.

Once we're both done, Christian turns to me with a huge smile on his face.

"Okay, I need to be straight with you. I have been acting super stalker recently, but I believe that you'll forgive me for it because with it brings exciting news."

I give Christian a sceptical look with an "Okay?"

"Well I've been keeping track of your cycles and your fertile days and such along with when we've been making love…"

Uh, what? Does anyone else have crazy husbands who track their menstrual cycles? This is a new entry in Christian's stalker tendencies portfolio. I try to look unfazed and let him continue.

"So, with my data and the fact that you've been feeling unwell lately, I thought I should bring you these," he says and empties the bag that's full of home pregnancy tests.

My eyes widen and I look between him and the tests with what I think is an expression of shock.

"But, I had my period last month? And I think I'm about to get it again…" I mutter quietly.

"Ana, I don't think that's right. I called my mom and I told her that it only went for a couple of days which she said was unusual and then I noticed that your breasts were getting bigger and you started to wince a little whenever I would massage them," he continues, "and I've been noticing other stuff too about your breasts changing and no offence, but I think even your tummy is sticking out a little…"

He keeps rambling while I try to process what he's telling me.

"Shush!" I try to quieten my overexcited husband. "Wow, I mean yeah, I guess I might be pregnant…" I think aloud. It makes sense when you put it together; I thought maybe my tender breasts and bloating were due to getting my next period. Maybe I should consult with my own personal menstrual calendar?

"Are you sure this isn't a false alarm? Isn't my period supposed to be this week? That would explain a lot of the symptoms."

"Ana baby, you would have gotten it last week, do you not even keep track of things like this?"

Hmm, I guess I counted something wrong. Or didn't really care. I've had more important things to worry about than creating a period calendar.

"I guess I just forgot about it," I stick my hand out towards Christian, "give me one of those tests."

"Here," he says placing two in my outstretched hand, "you could at least act excited about this…"

"I just don't want to get my hopes up okay?"

I walk into the bathroom with Christian hot on my tails.

"Oh no you don't babe, I hate it when you watch me pee. I'll call you in when I'm done."

He huffs and walks out shutting the door behind him.

I do my business on both sticks, place them on the counter and let Christian back in. He stands behind me with his hands placed on my stomach and head on my shoulder as we wait for the results. I can see his huge, goofy smile in the mirror and I'm trying so hard to not copy it.

We mindlessly chat and he strokes my belly, this five minutes is going to kill us both.

"It's time," Christian announces.

We both look down to two positive pregnancy tests.

"Oh. My. God," is the only thing I can produce.

Christian spins me around me, and shows me his out-of-this-world huge smile. I can't help but smile with him as happy tears run down both our cheeks.

"We did it love, we're having another baby," he whispers before pulling me in for a deep and passionate kiss. We don't go any further, just make out and cuddle while we absorb the news we've been waiting a year for.

I pull away and sniffle before looking at Christian, "you know this isn't 100 percent right? We shouldn't be this confident."

"Baby, with all the symptoms and these tests you still think it's false?" I shrug, "well even so, I'll book you in with Dr Greene tomorrow okay?"

"Sure. So are you confident we're actually pregnant?" I ask timidly.

"Never been surer of anything in my life. Wait, scratch that. It'd be second in line, I've been surer about one other thing before," He corrects.

"Really? What was it?"

"That after I met you, I was never going to let you go."

I pull his face towards mine and start kissing him again. He picks me up and I wrap my legs around his waist, with his hands supporting my butt. He carries me to our bed and throws me down, looming on top of me, kissing me, fondling me, and pulling off my clothes.

"What are you gonna do? Make a twin?" I joke.

Christian just laughs as he slowly enters me and we become lost in each other.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Ah thank you for the crazy, positive reaction to my story! I've tried to reply the reviews you guys have left. I don't have a posting schedule, I just write whenever I have time so I hope that's okay. I think I have an idea where I'm going with this but if anyone wants to submit ideas I will be more than happy about it. Hopefully you like this chapter :)**

* * *

_Ana POV_

After several rounds of congratulatory/celebratory/over-the-moon happy sex Christian and I decide it's probably a good time to shower and get dressed. We wanted to surprise the kids by picking them up ourselves, something that rarely happens with us usually working past pick up time. The guards stationed at each child's classroom have been informed that they are to not to take Teddy or Phoebe home today.

Christian drives us to their school and we decide to go to Phoebe's classroom first since she usually gets out a little earlier than Teddy. We wait outside the door with all the other parents. There are a few stares and sidelong glances, probably because they rarely see THE Christian Grey at the end of the school day, only sometimes in the mornings.

When the door opens Phoebe is one of the first to walk out, her little princess backpack on and looking a little sad and distracted. Christian squats down and says "Phoebe!" so she notices him.

"Daddy!" she squeals and runs into his open arms.

Christian holds her and stands up, "Hey baby girl, I missed you so I thought I'd come pick you up! How was your day?"

"It was okay," Christian squeezes her and kisses her nose, "Oh, mommy!"

Ah I am finally noticed, disadvantages of my daughter being a complete daddy's girl. I hope I can be the next ones favourite. No, stop Ana. No baby thoughts until it's 100% confirmed.

She wriggles in Christian's arms to try to reach me, I grab her and pull her close and we do our special kiss.

"Hello PhePhe," I try to put her on the ground but she refuses, "Do you want to go back to daddy? We need to go pick up Teddy."

"Okay!"

I hand her back to Christian who can carry her way easier than I can. We walk to the front of the school, knowing Teddy gets embarrassed if we go to the door. He likes to talk with his friends as they walk to the gates. We are standing waiting for Teddy, and when I see him I wave. He runs towards us and latches onto my legs. I give him a huge hug and kiss his curls.

"Hi mommy! Hi daddy! Why are you here?"

"Well we thought we'd pick you up today, is that alright?"

"Yeah! But don't you have work?"

Christian ruffles Teddy's hair "Ah young Ted, I own my own company, I can come and go whenever I want," he says and winks at him.

I grab Teddy's hand and lead him back to the car. Security is right behind us, and they tail us the whole way home.

* * *

Once we're home we all decide to watch some television and chill out on the couch since Phoebe is still in a bit of a funk and Teddy doesn't want to start his homework right away. Christian has Phoebe in his lap and they are having a huge cuddle session, it seems to be improving her mood, maybe she just missed her dad. He has been working a lot lately. We have Teddy between us and he's giggling like crazy at some cartoon show. I really could not love this boy any more.

Christian suddenly moves Phoebe off his lap and announces "alright Tedster, let's get this homework done, how much do you have?"

"Just some spelling and shapes."

"Okay, you go grab your bag and I'll meet you at the dining room table in five," he puts his hand in front of Teddy palm down, and Teddy rests his on top, "and break!" They throw their arms in the air and Teddy runs off to his bedroom to collect his things while Christian goes to clear the table.

"Okay Pheebs, I guess it's just you and me. What do you wanna do?"

"Play with my baby dolls!"

"Okay honey, let's go to the den. I think you left them in there."

Christian and I couldn't bear to call the kids toy room a 'playroom' for obvious reasons, so we named it the den. The room is overflowing with toys already; god knows how we'll fit in more toys with another baby and the kids ever-changing interests. Maybe we should have a room per child? I bet Christian would love that.

After a while Phoebe dismisses me, wanting to play mom to her baby dolls alone. I walk to the dining room and lean against the door frame, watching my boys engrossed in a first grade worksheet.

It's crazy how much Christian has changed over the years. He can still be super stalker, control freak and fifty shades of fucked up Christian, but the arrival of our children has definitely softened him. When Teddy was born, he was so scared that he would hurt him, but he soon embraced fatherhood with all he had. As I was recovering from my C-section he would take on night feeds and was probably the most enthusiastic father in the world about changing diapers. When Teddy started developing a personality and talking it only made Christian more obsessed with his son. Then Phoebe arrived, and with a newborn, a two-year old and myself in recovery we really could have been in over our head, but Christian was there, doting on his children and his wife. We all slept in the same room for about two months purely because Christian wanted to care for all of us together. Sure, he still has monthly appointments with Dr Flynn, but I think the love of his kids is way better therapy.

* * *

We lay in bed later that night, and I am completely exhausted from the day's events.

"Baby, I called Dr Greene's office and got us an appointment for tomorrow at 4:30pm."

"Thank you babe, will you pick me up?"

"Of course. Apparently tomorrow is a busy day at her clinic, so she squeezed us in after a lot of persuading on my part."

Hah. Persuading? More like a promise of a big payment. At least we'll get confirmation soon. I snuggle back into Christian's chest and fall asleep thinking about a tiny copper haired newborn.

* * *

I have spent the entire day stressing over my appointment with Dr Greene. After waking up sick again, I did manage to make it to work, but being alone in my office gives me a lot of time to think about everything that could go wrong with this pregnancy. A tell-tale ping tells me I have an email.

* * *

**From:** Christian Grey

**Subject:** Appointment with Dr Greene

**Date:** September 4 2018 4:00pm

**To:** Anastasia Grey

Wife,

I am leaving the office as we speak. I shall see you in about 15 minutes. Be ready to leave, and don't worry, I'm bringing snacks.

See you soon.

Christian Grey

CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc.

* * *

Oh well that was formal of him. He's probably as nervous about this appointment as I am. At least I get food; I hope it's something junky.

Christian arrives and we are on our way to Dr Greene's private clinic, thankfully it's not too far from Grey Publishing. The blood flow to my hand is being cut off from him clinging to it so tightly. I guess playful, loving daddy Christian has been replaced by nervous, control freak Christian today. I am unfortunately snacking on fruit; possible pregnancy brings out Christian Grey the nutritionist extraordinaire.

As soon as we walk through the clinic doors we are ushered down to one of the exam rooms. After two Grey babies the receptionist knows exactly how Christian operates. In and out without dealing with small talk or 'waiting room bullshit' as he likes to call it.

Dr Greene walks in and sits across from us with a smile but I can tell that it doesn't reach her eyes.

"Hello Mr Grey, Mrs Grey, what can I do for you today?"

"We think Anastasia is pregnant," Christian says quickly, "obviously we would like it to be confirmed."

God Christian, manners. I give him a little side glare.

"What have your symptoms been Mrs Grey and for how long have they been evident?"

"Dr Greene, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Ana?" I ask but continue, "Well I've been feeling tired for a while now and I started having nausea yesterday. I also only just noticed my breasts being tender and a little bigger, as well as my stomach. I think I was ignoring the signs so I have no idea when they started."

"When was the first day of your last period?"

"Um, I'm not too sure. I don't even know if you could call it a period. It only went for about two days."

Dr Greene gives me a disapproving look.

"Okay then. Well I only just managed to squeeze you in today," she glares at Christian, "and I have another couple waiting for me to return with their test results, so I'll leave you to do your business in this cup. You know the drill, and I'll send in a nurse to take some blood."

"A nurse? Seriously?" Christian Grey is apparently not a happy camper.

"Yes Mr Grey, a fully qualified nurse who is more than capable of taking a vile of blood. I did tell you other arrangements would have to be made since you called at such late notice."

"Yes, yes, alright then."

Dr Greene hands me a cup and I go to the bathroom to pee. When I return an older looking nurse takes my blood easily, I don't see what Christian is stressing about. She is clearly very nice and experienced. We sit and wait for Dr Greene's return, clutching on to each other's hands. As the door opens my heart starts beating erratically.

"Well Mr and Mrs Grey, I am happy to announce that you are indeed pregnant!" Dr Greene says.

I look to Christian who has tears in his eyes again, and I'm sure I look the same. I am so happy.

Dr Greene breaks us out of our moment, "Now you need to have a sonogram done, but I also need to quickly finish another appointment, so I'll get an ultrasound tech to bring up the picture and measure the baby and then we'll have a discussion from there, alright?"

I nod but Christian doesn't look too happy.

"Don't worry Mr Grey, our ultrasound tech is very good at her job," she states before leaving the room.

A woman who introduces herself as Leah walks in shortly after and instructs me to lie back on the examining chair. I will be having an external ultrasound done today since Dr Greene thinks I'm further along than usual for a first appointment.

I pull my shirt up and Leah squirts the blue jelly on my stomach.

"Oh that's cold!"

"Sorry Mrs Grey, I should have warned you before I put that on."

Christian rolls his eyes.

Leah grabs the wand and starts moving it on my belly, looking for our baby. I personally can't see anything, just a blur of black, white and grey.

Leah leans in a little further to the screen, "well it's clear you're pregnant…"

"Yes, and?" Christian presses.

"Um excuse me Mr and Mrs Grey, I think I need to go and get Dr Greene."

"What?! Is there something wrong? I thought Dr Greene said you were good at your job! God, I should never have agreed to have someone who isn't actually a doctor perform this procedure!" Christian is practically yelling at the girl.

Poor Leah is trembling, "Excuse me, I'll be right back."

I look to Christian who is running both his hands through his hair. I don't know how to react so I sit in silence and wait for the return of Dr Greene.

* * *

**Let me know your thoughts in a review! Also, would you guys rather this length chapters that are updated regularly or longer chapters with bigger gaps between updates? **

**Bel.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Thank you all again for the reviews, follows and favourites. I've replied to I think everyone about what they've written, so check your inboxes if you'd asked for clarification or something. I hope some of you don't hate me for what this chapter will entail. I don't have a beta so let me know if there are any huge mistakes. Enjoy! (hopefully)**

* * *

_Ana POV_

I hear murmured voices coming towards us and Dr Greene enters the exam room with Leah right behind her. They are still in deep conversation. Dr Greene looks up to see myself in what probably looks like the beginning stages of a panic attack. Christian is hunched over in his chair with his head in his hands.

Dr Greene walks over to me and puts her hand on my shoulder.

"Ana, I need you to take a couple of deep breaths okay? You too, Mr Grey. You don't even know what's happening yet."

Christian picks up his head and grabs my nearest hand, staring into my eyes as he slowly breathes in and out. I copy his actions.

Dr Greene sits down in front of the ultrasound machine and grabs the wand. She puts a little more jelly on my stomach and starts to move the wand around just like Leah did.

"See? That's the image I got, right there," Leah says.

"Yes I see Leah, thanks for calling me in. You can go now," And with that, Leah leaves the room giving us a little smile.

What the hell is going on?

"Alright Mr and Mrs Grey, I have both good news and bad news for you," she starts, "which would you like first?"

"Good," Christian and I answer in unison.

"Okay, the good news is that you're pregnant with twins."

She sits and stares at us both, judging our reaction.

Twins?! Holy shit. Two babies. Double the feedings, double the diapers, double of everything. We'd be parents of four children under seven. Talk about intense. I look to Christian who looks like he's stopped breathing. I give his hand a squeeze and he comes back to life. Smiling at me but I can see the fear in his eyes.

We're broken out of our reverie by Dr Greene.

"Well you two seem to be taking that quite well. It's a shock to everyone to find out they're pregnant with twins, but I also have bad news. Leah called me in to not only break the news to you, but also because it seems you're quite far along. Nine weeks actually, I'm surprised you didn't realise earlier."

Nine weeks? Woah, I really was unobservant towards the changes in my own body.

"That being said your signs came quite late too, which can happen to women in their later pregnancies. I'm worried about the bleeding you mentioned, which could be due to many things. I'm hoping it was just because your body hasn't experienced pregnancy in four years. You'll need to keep an eye out if any bleeding or spotting happens again and I'll need to know immediately, okay?"

I just nod.

"Now, as you can see on the sonogram, you can clearly see both foetuses."

Christian and I both lean closer to the screen to look.

"Wow," is all Christian has to say. He has finally been rendered speechless. In all honesty it does look pretty cool.

"Now, the main worry is that I can't tell what type of twins you're having. There are three main types and they all depend on the placenta and membranes surrounding the babies. We've decided that you are not having non-identical twins since they share a placenta. The worry is if your twins are monochorionic diamniotic, which means they share an outer membrane but have their own inner membrane within that, or if they are monochorionic monoamniotic, meaning they share both membranes. The latter only happens in one percent of twin pregnancies and is the most dangerous. We can't yet see clearly if there is a membrane separating the two babies."

My brain is in overdrive from all this technical information. I'm not sure how to react so I just sit and stare at Dr Greene.

"I know this is a lot to take in right now, but you shouldn't stress just yet. I'd like you to see you in three weeks for another scan to see if the membrane is there. If they do share an inner membrane, there is significantly less risk of complications."

I just keep nodding. I hope Christian is taking this all in. Maybe I should ask for it all to be written down.

"Now I'm going to measure each foetus and give you your due date."

Dr Greene gets to work on measuring the babies using the machine and I look to Christian. He is still staring at me with fear in his eyes; he has no control over this situation. I know it's what he hates most about me being pregnant.

"Alright, they are both on track for their development. Your due date is the 9th of April 2019, but with twins you usually will deliver a couple of weeks early so the birth will probably be in late March. With your record of C-sections and with twins, you will be having surgery again. It's just too risky to try for a natural birth when you already have so much scar tissue. Would you like any copies of the sonogram?"

I am too shocked to even speak. Thank god for Christian.

"We would like ten copies thank you."

"Of course Mr Grey. Do either of you have any questions?"

"What are the risks that come with a multiple pregnancy?"

"I would say the major risks are preterm birth, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. Mrs Grey's last pregnancy was quite easy, so I hope this will be similar. You will need to come in twice a month for sonograms and tests after 16 weeks, so we can monitor the babies and if you develop any complications. You are lucky to have a doctor in the family, I'm sure you will be well looked after."

I am still trying to come to terms with the fact I'll be having twins. Identical twins it seems. Two more miniature versions of Christian or myself. Hopefully a perfect mixture.

"Here are your sonogram pictures," She hands them to Christian, "and I know you probably have maternity notes from your previous pregnancies, but here is a set about twins. If you have any questions don't hesitate to call me."

With that Dr Greene walks to the door but stops, "congratulations to the both of you, have a good day."

"You too Dr Greene," is all I can manage.

She walks out and Christian hands me some paper towels to clean myself up.

"Are you happy?" he asks me.

"Yes of course I'm happy. I've been waiting for this for so long. It's just a shock to find out that its twins. What about you?"

"I'm happy, but really scared. What if something goes wrong? Or if they're those twins with all the risks? I couldn't bear it if I lost all three of you," I can tell he's going into stress mode, "I need to talk to my mother."

"Christian, I'm only nine weeks and I don't want anyone to know just yet in case something goes wrong."

"You know my mother wouldn't tell though, she kept Teddy a secret."

"True, she might be able to ease our worries. Anyway, let's get going, I want to go home."

"Of course, darling."

I wait in a chair while Christian and the receptionist go through all the details in my maternity notes and sort out my upcoming appointments. I'm so glad I have him to be all control freaky right now; I don't think I could keep up with all the specifics when I'm in this much shock. I need to pull myself together though since I don't want the kids to pick up on anything. They are especially perceptive at their ages.

We are finally done and Christian leads me back to the car. I'm also glad for Taylor and his chauffeuring skills, neither of us are in any state to drive right now. Christian sits right next to me and clings to my hand again as we drive home. He is looking a bit distant.

"Christian?"

"Yeah baby?"

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just shocked and pissed that the ultrasound tech put us through agonising suspense to tell us about twins. I thought she was going to say the baby had three heads or something!"

Crap. I've brought out raging Christian.

"About that, you need to start acting better around these people. You did it with Dr Greene and the nurse too, questioning their qualifications and yelling at them unnecessarily. It's rude and makes me uncomfortable. They know what they're doing and she probably has instructions from Dr Greene about what to do in that situation."

"Do I fucking care? I nearly had a heart attack in there."

"I doubt you would have had a heart attack, Christian. Calm down and watch your language, I don't want you in the house like this and having our children pick up on swears."

Christian huffs, runs his hand through his hair and turns to stare out the window. I guess this conversation is over.

As we near the house I lift our joined hands and kiss the back of his. He relaxes a little and turns to face me.

"I'm sorry Ana. I just don't know how to feel right now. I'm so happy yet so scared at the same time, I apologise for snapping at you."

"It's alright love. I know how you feel. Do you have the sonogram pictures hidden?"

"Yes, they're in my jacket pocket and I'll put them in the safe when we get home."

"Good idea," I say and give him a chaste kiss on his lips.

* * *

As soon as I walk in the door I am met with silence, with two young children this is a bit worrying. I look to Christian who seems to be having the same thought process as myself.

Gail pops up out of nowhere looking a bit flustered.

"Christian, Ana," she pants, "the kids are outside with Elliot and Kate, they popped round about a half hour ago and chose to stay when they saw you weren't home. I've asked them to stay for dinner if that's alright?"

"Of course it is Gail, did they state their reason for coming?" Christian is all business and still hasn't learnt that sometimes people will just come over because they want to see you.

"No, they didn't. But they have Ava and Eden with them so I think they just wanted to come over for a play."

"Okay thank you Gail, dinner will be ready around 6:30 I assume?"

"On the dot,"

I butt in, sick of all the formality.

"Thank you so much Gail, we'll see you in a bit."

Christian puts his jacket on the couch and I pull him outside. Kate is holding Eden and being chased by Teddy, while Elliot has Phoebe and Ava in an arm each and is spinning them around. They are both squealing and laughing.

Phoebe sees us and demands to be put down. She runs to us and launches into her father's arms.

"Mommy! Daddy! Unca Ell and Auntie Katie came over with Ava and Eden and they are all staying for dinner!"

"So I've heard princess," he gives her a kiss on her forehead and then says loudly, "It's starting to get cold, should we all head inside?"

Kate and Elliot, who is now carrying Ava and has Teddy on his back, walk towards us. I go to give Kate a kiss on the cheek and Eden one on her head.

"What a surprise guys! It's good to see you!"

"Ava has been hounding us for days to come see you all and we finally caved. Where have you been?"

"I'm glad you did, I've missed you all. We were nowhere exciting; both of us had to work late. Eden has gotten so big!" Teddy runs to me and I bend down to kiss him. "Hey buddy, go on inside with Uncle Elliot and Ava, I'll be there in a second."

"Okay mom!" he yells and runs off to catch up to everyone else. Kate and I follow slowly behind.

"Are you no longer mommy?"

"Teddy changes between mommy and mom, all a part of him growing up I guess."

"Right. Anyway, yeah she's grown so much and I think she's looking a little Elliot-y. What do you think?"

"I think she is like Ava, a perfect mixture of both. Can I hold her?"

"Of course!"

She hands me Eden, who is looking a little tired and snuggles against my chest. I can't wait for my own babies now. They are so pure and innocent.

We walk into the living room to see everyone fighting over the prime couch space in front of the television. Elliot is throwing everything onto the floor, great. Christian's jacket flies off the couch and I see the sonogram photos fall out. Shit.

Before I can get to them Teddy has run over to pick them up.

"Hey daddy, this just fell out of your jacket!" he announces loudly and holds up a photo.

All the adult's eyes widen and look from Teddy to Christian to me. It's clear what it is, this family has procreated enough to spot a sonogram from a mile away.

I just stand and stare at Teddy. I must look shocked and at risk of fainting since Kate grabs Eden out of my arms quickly.

"So, is that what you were working late on?"

* * *

**A/N2: This chapter ended up longer than I had intended. I hope some of you don't stop reading after this turn of events. There might not be another update until Monday, Australian time, since I have a big weekend coming up. Let me know what you thought of it! (If you're good you might get another chapter tomorrow :P)**

**Bel.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Just the usual thanks etc. I've had a super busy weekend so I haven't been able to reply to any reviews, but thank you all anyway! To the users and guests who have written to me saying they're twins/have twins please let me know if I screw anything up! I'm a fraternal twin myself and know many identical twins, but there's only so much information you can leech out of friends and the internet. If I mess something up or if it's medically incorrect, don't hesitate to tell me. This is short and a bit of a filler that I'm not entirely happy with, I'm struggling to find motivation and ideas on what to do next. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Ana POV_

Crap. Crap. Crap. This is so not ideal.

"Give that to me son, now!" Christian runs to Teddy and grabs the photo he's holding and the ones strewn across the floor.

"What is it? It looks kind of like the sky at night, it's cool."

"They're nothing Teddy, just some printouts from work," We might be able to trick the kids, but there is no fooling Elliot and Kate.

"Oh, okay, have this too," my son picks up his dad's jacket, throws it at him and walks to sit down on the couch next to his cousin and sister. He seems pretty disinterested in what he found now, too distracted by the television.

Kate and Elliot are a different story. As Christian moves to put away his jacket, and hopefully hide the sonogram photos in the safe, I am still standing in shock while my in-laws eye me sceptically.

I turn to stare at her and try to give her my best 'let's talk about this later' look but I don't think it's working. It's not like Kate to give up easily. I even have Elliot staring at me now, plus three of the children.

"Mama? You okay?" Phoebe's little voice breaks me out of my trance.

"What? Oh, everything's fine, baby girl. Why don't you, Teddy and Ava go to the den and play with your toys before dinner?"

"Okay mommy!" despite her size, my little girl grabs both children's hands and drags them towards the den.

Christian walks back into the room. It seems like he's changed into a pair of sweats and plain t-shirt. Damn, the way those sweats hang on to his hips...Eugh I need to get a grip, my crazy pregnancy hormones are starting again. Hopefully they're not twice as bad this time around or we won't be leaving the bedroom for the next seven months. When I was pregnant with Phoebe I was horny 24/7 until the day she was born, which was a new experience for both me and Christian. All I could think about was sex, I couldn't get anything done. Actually, with twins I will be gigantic, who knows if we will even be able to have sex? I hope we can find a good position. Oh jeez, I can feel myself getting wet.

Woah, sidetracked. Christian is waving his hand in front of my face. I guess it's time to explain ourselves. We are all seated on the couch and Christian is clinging to my hand again.

"So you guys have another bun in the oven?" Ah Elliot, he always tries to break the tension.

"We've got a couple actually..." I say quietly while failing to hold back a grin.

"WHAT?!"

"Ana and I were at Dr Greene's clinic after work, that's why we were late. She told us that Ana is nine weeks pregnant with twins. Please do not tell anyone."

"Of course we won't tell anyone, will we babe?"

"Ana, I've been keeping your secrets for over ten years; I think I can handle another one."

I smile sadly at her. Whenever I think of the twins, I can't help but worry. Waiting three weeks to see if they're in the safe zone is going to kill me.

"Are you alright, Ana?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I just didn't think we'd be telling anyone this soon."

Kate narrows her eyes at me. Will I be having the Katherine Kavanagh now Katherine Grey inquisition soon? Probably.

She hands Eden over to Elliot and announces that she's going to round-up the children for dinner time.

"Bro, congratulations! How do you think you're going to handle twins?"

"I haven't even thought about it yet Elliot, I'm still in shock."

Bullshit Christian. The man has been on high alert stress mode as soon as he heard the word 'twin' come out of Dr Greene's mouth.

"I can barely handle this one," Elliot bounces Eden on his lap, "let alone having two. I wish you the best of luck."

Christian laughs, "Thanks bro."

Eden reaches for Christian who takes her in his arms. I watch as he holds her upright and moves her like she's dancing. I decide to let him have his brother and niece moment alone and go to find Gail.

She is setting the table for dinner and getting all the children's booster seats sorted and setting up the high chair.

"Thank you Gail. Is that Phoebe's old chair?"

"Yes I keep it in the closet in the hall for when situations like this happen. Although I do know Kate usually tries to feed Eden on her lap."

"Hah, yes she does, even though she makes a terrible mess. What's for dinner tonight?"

"Well I've cooked roast chicken and vegetables for you all, but I've also made mac and cheese since I know the kids can be fussy."

"Gail, you didn't have to but I'm glad you did. Kate and Elliot aren't very strict with Ava and she throws a fit when she's given vegies. Shall I get everyone together now?"

"If you could Ana, I'll start serving up now."

I go to the living room with the intention of getting Christian, Elliot and Eden but it seems Kate has rounded up every family member and has created a system to wash all their hands before our meal. Can someone say super mom? Even Christian and Elliot are being forced to wash up.

"Wow Kate, I need to applaud you on your skills to rope every Grey into line," she just smirks at me, I feel sorry for Elliot, "but I did come to say that dinners ready now."

I hear three distinct yells of approval and jump out of the way before I get pushed over from the tiny stampede.

"No running in the house!" Christian yells to no response, "Theodore! Phoebe!"

I doubt they even care, not when they have troublemaker Ava Grey as their leader.

* * *

After nearly vomiting when presented with roast chicken, I am sitting at the table next to Christian and trying to enjoy my macaroni and cheese with vegetables. What a great combo. Not.

I am so uncomfortable. I am fighting alternating waves of nausea and hormones. It's not helping that Christian is using one hand to either rub my thigh or my stomach. I've been biting my bottom lip all night.

I doubt Teddy and Phoebe would understand what's going on, but Gail and Taylor haven't been told about the pregnancy yet, and I'm sure Ava could connect how her aunt and uncle are behaving to how her parents acted when Kate was pregnant with Eden.

Christian is moving his hand higher up my thigh, and I squirm in my seat. He smirks and leans into my ear to whisper.

"Are someone's baby hormones making her a little needy?"

I shoot him a glare, not wanting anyone else to realise what's going on. He moves his hand higher to my stomach and starts to rub circles.

"Christian, stop. I don't want anyone else to know," I say in a low voice.

"Maybe we should just tell them? Screw the waiting thing, I'm too excited," he whispers and kisses below my ear.

Is he kidding? Now I'm just angry. He wants to risk this? What if something happens? It would break Teddy and Phoebe to be told they're going to have siblings only to have them taken away.

"And what? Have bad luck? Have our babies end up in one sac? They could die. I could die. What kind of father wants to risk their children like that?" I hiss.

As soon as I say it I know I've stepped over the line. Christian stares at me with wide and angry, yet tear filled eyes. He abruptly gets up, throws his napkin on the table and storms out of the room.

Shit.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Thought you guys deserved another chapter. Thank you for all the reviews etc. again!**

* * *

_Ana POV_

Everyone quickly finishes their dinner in silence and Elliot and Kate decide to go home shortly after. Christian hasn't shown any signs of returning, I think he's in his office. I don't want to disturb him; I know I've pissed him off big time.

Teddy has gone off to finish his homework alone, he didn't ask for my help. I think he knows that his dad is angry at me, which usually means he copies his behaviour and ignores me as well.

I'm sitting with Phoebe on my lap while we watch some mindless TV show. At least someone likes me right now. I can feel her head drooping towards my shoulder and I know she's close to sleeping. I really need to give her a bath. I pick her up and jiggle her a bit to wake her up.

"Pheebs, you gotta wake up a bit for mama okay? You need to have a quick bath."

"No, mama. Bed," I have another demanding Grey on my hands.

"Phoebe Grace, you are having a bath, and if you don't complain I might even read you two bedtime stories," I nudge my forehead against hers.

She gives me a smile and we walk to the bathroom. I wash her quickly due to fear of her falling asleep in the water and change her into her princess pyjamas.

"Go get into bed with two stories and I'll come read them to you in a minute."

Phoebe runs full pelt to her bedroom while I go to check on Teddy. I open his door to find him sitting and playing with his train set, he's completely focused on building a little bridge. He seems to be having a little trouble.

"Do you need some help Ted?"

"No."

"No what, Theodore?"

"No thank you, mommy."

"Alright then. I was just letting you know it's lights out in one hour."

"Okay," he still hasn't looked at me.

I turn to walk out of the room when I hear a little voice.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah baby?"

"Why is daddy so angry?"

"We just disagreed on something, Teddy. It's nothing to worry about," well nothing for him to worry about. It's a different story for me.

"Do you think he's too angry to come help with my trains?"

"I'll ask him baby boy. It's bedtime for Pheebs, would you be able to kiss her goodnight?"

"Sure, mom."

We walk hand-in-hand to Phoebe's room and Teddy sits on my lap as I sit next to Phoebe. She has chosen her Disney princess story book.

"What ones do you want to read, Phe?"

"Cinderella and ummm Aladdin, please."

I take the book from Phoebe's hands and rest back against her headboard pulling Teddy with me.

"Do you want to stay for the stories too Ted?"

He just nods in response. We start to read and Phoebe starts to drift halfway through Cinderella. We both whisper goodnight and kiss her on the forehead. Teddy jumps off my lap and I slowly move so I don't wake her. I turn on her nightlight and switch off the main light. We walk out of her room and I shut the door halfway. I kneel to Teddy's height and give him a hug.

"You're such a good big brother Teddy bear. I'm going to find dad now and ask if he'll help out with your trains okay?"

He gives me a huge smile, exactly like his fathers. "Thanks mom!"

He walks to his room as I make my way to the office. I knock on the door and brace myself for Christian's anger. There's no response but I walk in anyway.

"What do you want Anastasia?" Yeah he's still angry.

"You need to tuck in Phoebe and kiss her goodnight, and Teddy would like some help with his train set."

"I'm busy right now. Tell Teddy I'll help him tomorrow." He starts aggressively typing on his laptop.

"Christian, I know you're angry with me about what I said but that doesn't mean you should ignore your children. They have done nothing wrong. I can tell Teddy is really upset about all of this."

He slams the laptop shut and pushes his chair back. He gets up and walks past without looking at me. I try to stroke his arm but he shrugs me off.

* * *

I took a bath alone and now I'm lying in bed alone. It's been over an hour since Christian walked off to tend to the kids. I'm seriously exhausted by today's events but I really want to wait and see if Christian comes to bed with me or if he chooses to sleep in one of the guest bedrooms. We have never slept apart under these sorts of terms, only when Christian has gone away for business.

I grab my laptop and sit up to do some work. May as well make use of this time, it's too early for me to sleep anyway.

I have only managed to concentrate enough to get through two emails when Christian walks into the room and slams the bedroom door. He walks around to the closet to grab his pyjamas while taking off his clothes and throwing them angrily at the hamper. He dresses quickly but that doesn't stop my hormones spiking as I watch his body move.

"I said goodnight to Phoebe, helped Teddy with his trains and then gave him a bath. I took longer since I also looked over his homework. He's gone to sleep a little later than usual since we also had a talk about what happened at dinner."

He walks into the bathroom and slams that door too. I just stare at the door. I've really fucked up this time.

* * *

We're lying in bed, both on our backs and not touching. This is not normal. Usually we can't keep our hands off each other. I already know I'm going to sleep badly tonight. I only sleep well when we are close together. I decide to try and resolve this. I have a thing against going to bed angry.

"Christian, we need to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you, Anastasia," I'm still Anastasia. He is really, really angry.

"I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it at all. You're a wonderful father."

Christian turns on his side to look at me, and I turn to face him.

"You know I was absolutely terrified of becoming a father. Even after we'd had Teddy, and found out about Phoebe, I was still so scared of the father I could be, of how I would treat our children. You tried to console me and tell me I would do great, but that fear is still there. Every single day I worry about how we're raising our children, of how they will turn out with me as their father. After learning about the twins my fear increased. I'm shit scared about their health, about how we're going to handle four children and make sure they all turn out well."

I just stare at him, willing him to continue.

"You really hurt me today, Ana. You doubted that I cared for our children. You thought that I didn't care about their health, that I wanted to burden them with bad luck and that I didn't care if something happened to them. With all my control issues and doubts about myself over the past seven years, do you really think I wanted to risk the lives of our children? Some days I do think I'm a crappy father and that I'm screwing up these kids, but I've been trying to change. What you said at dinner has only brought those thoughts back, that you think I'm a bad father. You know that is one of my biggest fears."

Tears start to roll down my cheeks as I realise that I have seriously hurt this man. The one thing I didn't want to do.

"No, you're not a bad father. I don't think that at all," I'm on the verge of sobbing now.

"Then why did you say those things? You clearly thought them if you said them."

"H-h-h hormones…"

"You're blaming this on hormones? This never happened when you were pregnant with the others. Not even when we were stressed over Teddy's wellbeing. Don't you think before you speak? About how you can hurt someone with your words? I can't even look at you right now, Anastasia."

Christian rolls over and gets out of bed, picking up his pillow. He walks to the door and opens it, but doesn't walk out. He turns to me with tears in his eyes.

"I'm going to sleep elsewhere tonight. Goodnight Anastasia. Even though this has happened, do not doubt that I love you."

"No! Christian!" I blubber. I don't know if he can hear me.

He walks out of the room and shuts the door quietly. I lie down and bury my face in my pillow.

"I love you too, Christian" I whisper before crying myself to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: What do you think about changing POVs? I'm thinking about writing a bit in Christian's POV but do you think it's more powerful if it's just in Ana's? Let me know! **

**Thanks for reading! **

**Bel :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Thank you for everything again! You guys are the best! Heaps of people said they wanted some Christian POV so here it is! I won't be doing the whole same scene but different POV thing because I want to keep the story going forward. Let me know what you think, if this is well received I'll do some more Christian POV in the future! **

* * *

_Christian POV_

I am torn.

I have just shut the door on my crying wife. One part of me wants to go back and comfort her. Another part wants to break down and cry. A different part wants to scream profanities to the high heavens and beat the fuck out of something. Our room is soundproofed, and even though I can't hear Ana sobbing, I know she is. I made her cry, but she made me cry too, so does this make us even? Do I go back and apologise? We have never fought this bad before. I don't know how to react.

I need air.

I quietly walk past my children's bedrooms, down the stairs and out into the meadow. I know that it's cold but I can't feel a thing. I'm trying to take deep breaths. I don't want to cry. I spent god knows how long crying in my office. My emotions are spent. I don't understand what is happening.

I end up walking to Ana's favourite tree, where we have had so many little family picnics. Sitting back against the tree trunk with Ana in my arms, watching our kids run and play with each other.

My kids.

Theodore Raymond and Phoebe Grace. The lights of my life. The two little people who can always make me feel better.

I never thought I would be a dad. Yeah, when I was thinking of asking Ana to marry me I did have to realise the possibility that she would want children. I thought if it did happen, I would be way into my thirties and somewhat ready for it after having my wife all to myself for a few years. That obviously didn't happen after I found out about the little intruder, now known as one of the best things to happen to me.

I was so scared of having a child. Hell I'm still scared that I'm a father. I cannot control these children. It takes so much effort not to snap at them when they misbehave. Not to put them across my knee. My wife has refused any sort of physical punishment, much to my dismay.

I don't even want to think about what will happen when the hormones start pulsing through their veins. Phoebe as a teenager will be the death of me, I know it. Oh god. What if the twins are girls? I'm not sure if I can handle this.

See, there goes my uncertainty again. How am I supposed to be a good father when my wife doesn't even believe in me? When my wife thinks I want to risk the health of my unborn babies. Haven't I always been strict on maintaining the good health of my entire family? Does she not see that? The one woman whose opinion I treasure most says I'm a crap dad. What the fuck.

I punch the ground. I was not being unreasonable, I'm just excited. Two new babies is something to be excited about. We are expanding our family. I'm surprised this hasn't happened earlier considering we fuck like rabbits. I would have rather one at a time, but I want these twins and I will love them as much as Teddy and Phe.

I am so angry at my wife for doubting my role as a father. I really thought she believed I was a good parent. She has told me so repeatedly over the last six years.

Maybe I'm being too harsh on her. I don't know. She did say it was the baby hormones that did it and I guess I can't blame her for that. I had my part in their creation. Double the babies could equal double the hormones right? She also apologised. I could tell from her eyes that she meant it, she really did, but I still have this feeling of needing to punish her for what she did. Maybe my dominant side hasn't really left at all. It's still there under the other 100 or so shades of Christian now.

I should call Flynn.

No.

I can't call Flynn. It's too late. He's probably fucking his wife. Which is what I would usually be doing right about now.

Okay now I'm getting cold. I should probably go back inside. I don't think I can sleep though. I'm wound too tight. Where am I supposed to sleep anyway? The couch? The fucking guest room? Yeah that'll be fun. I'll probably scare the shit out my kids if I wake up screaming from a nightmare. Fuck.

I punch the ground again but stand up. Brush the shit off my pyjamas and walk back to the house. I pick up the pillow that I left just inside the door and walk slowly up the stairs. I don't think I can go back and face Ana right now. Guest room is out of the question. Phoebe may have upgraded to a big girl bed but it's still too damn tiny for me to fit. So I guess I'll be bunking with Teddy. My favourite little man.

There is no light coming from the crack under the door so he's probably already asleep. Shit. Maybe I won't wake him too much to affect his sleep.

I slowly turn the handle and creak open the door just enough to slide through and shut it quickly. Thank god we don't have creaky hinges. In the moon light coming from a crack in the curtain I can see my boy peacefully sleeping. I feel kind of bad for this but I need to sleep with the comfort of another human.

I tip toe over to his bed and sit on the edge, he's facing me and I stroke his hair. No response. I lean down to kiss his forehead and his little eyelids flutter open and try to see who I am.

"Daddy?" I hear in his cute, half-awake voice.

"Hey buddy, can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Why aren't you with mommy? You always sleep with mommy."

"Well I decided to sleep with my best bud tonight, is that okay?"

"If ya want."

"Thanks Teddy, scooch over a bit please."

He tries to move but I can tell he's too tired for it, so I pick him up under his arms and move him. This is going to be a tight squeeze.

"Dadddddddy, you're squishing me."

"Sorry bud, I'll move again."

He suddenly sits up and looks down at me.

"No dad, I can fix this," I always thought Teddy had Ana's demeanour, but I think the Grey genes are about to show through.

"You lie on your back."

I do as I'm told.

"And I'll lie on top of you, like we did when I was little."

I open my arms and my little buddy gingerly lies on my chest, putting his legs on either side of my body. His head rests on my left shoulder and he puts his arms around my neck.

I feel his entire body relax against mine, and mine reciprocates.

"Mmmm daddy, you're comfy," he murmurs into my shoulder.

"Goodnight my Teddy Bear, I love you," I move my arms around and hug his body.

"Love you too daddy, you're the best," and with that he falls asleep.

His steady breathing calms me. He's right though, we always used to sleep like this.

When Teddy was a baby he was quite fussy about sleeping. No amount of rocking could settle him. One day when Ana and I were about to break my mother told us to lie down and put Teddy skin to skin on our chests. He fell asleep immediately and for years after we used that technique. He doesn't really fit on Ana's chest anymore, and she couldn't do it while breastfeeding Phoebe, so it kind of became our little thing. Even now when Teddy gets really upset or overtired, he'll come over to me and lean against my chest. It doesn't happen often but it makes me happy when it does.

I am so distracted by my thoughts about my son that I don't hear the door open.

"Christian?"

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**A/N2: I tried to put across Christian's multifaceted personality and that even though marriage and children have agreed with him, he is still kind of screwed up. Thoughts?**

**Bel :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Ah so much Christian POV love! Thank you all! Also we hit over 10,500 views, waheeeey! I'll definitely be writing move Christian POV chapters now after such positive feedback. Hope you like this!**

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_Ana POV_

"Christian?" I whisper from my son's bedroom door.

I was walking to get a drink of water when I'd heard voices coming from Teddy's room. What I saw, in all honesty, made me want to cry. My little boy lying on top of my big man. My Teddy bear sound asleep in the arms of his daddy. I can't believe I said what I did. This image right here shows me that Christian is a great father, if there was any doubt beforehand.

I need to make this right.

"Christian," I say a little louder.

His head turns towards me, his eyes full of sadness. I hope he can forgive me. He moves his arm to tap the edge of Teddy's bed, beckoning me to sit.

I sit gingerly on the bed, trying not to jostle Teddy.

"He's really out," Christian whispers to me.

"Seems like it," I gently stroke his little copper curls, "We need to talk, Christian."

"I know, baby," He called me baby; this is an improvement, "we'll talk in our room, will you help me get him onto the mattress?"

"Of course."

I pry Teddy's arms off Christian's neck and we both lift and move him to the bed, and cover him with his blankets. Christian gives him a long kiss on his head then grabs my hand to lead me out of the room.

We walk in silence towards our bedroom.

As soon as the door closes we both stand and stare at each other.

"I'm sorry," we say in unison and I giggle.

"Ah, my favourite sound."

I reach up and put my hands on either side of his face, lightly stroking his cheeks with my thumbs.

"Christian my love, I am so sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it, not one tiny bit. You know I think you're an amazing father to our children, and nothing will change when the next two come along. Actually knowing you, you'll probably become a better father. I don't know why I said what I did. I'm absolutely terrified about our twins and I think I snapped under the stress. I didn't want anyone but us to know, and after telling Kate and Elliot I thought even that could bring us bad luck. I am so, so sorry. I don't know what else to say. Please tell me you forgive me."

I drop my arms by my sad and look at the ground dejectedly.

"Oh Ana," is all Christian says before he brings his lips to mine. He kisses me with intense passion but pulls away before it goes any further.

"Come," he grabs my hand and pulls me to the bed.

He sits against the headboard and sits me in his lap. I wrap my arms around his neck and curl into his chest. It's amazing how many of us are allowed to touch his chest now. It's one of my favourite places to be.

"Anastasia, I was so angry and upset about what you said at dinner. After I left you here, I sat outside and thought for a while. My brain was in complete overload thinking about our kids, about you and what kind of father I am. Even though I doubt myself, you've always told me how well I'm doing with our little munchkins. Then I began to see it from your view, you're carrying my offspring, who well and truly could be in danger. I know you have baby hormones that make you a little wacko. I'm scared too, so I see where you're coming from. I think I understand why you said it. You were announcing your fear, coming to terms with it. You didn't really mean to say it to me, but I ended up being your outlet. Of course I forgive you.

"Oh thank god," I melt even further into his chest.

He starts rubbing my back in circles, and then abruptly moves me so I'm straddling him.

"Can I sleep here with you?"

"Of course you can, I bet Teddy's bed wasn't really that comfortable."

"You're right there, but I love having him sleep on me. Reminds me of when he was a baby."

Christian moves my hair off my shoulder and starts to kiss along my shoulder and towards my neck.

"That's what I thought when I saw you," I hesitate, "I have a question for you."

"Mmm yeah? What is it?" he continues to kiss my neck and I lean my head back so he has better access.

"Did you get so angry that you wanted to punish me?"

I feel him freeze and then sit back.

"Umm."

"Tell me, Christian."

"I'm always going to have dominant tendencies, Ana. It's a part of me. I was like that for so many years, it can't just go away. So yes, I had an extreme urge to put you across my knee and spank you, but then, for once, I thought about the consequences. You were already so upset and under so much stress, who knows what would happen to you and the babies if I put you through that?"

I'm so relieved. We've sorted out an argument without yelling and without punishment.

My head falls to his shoulder and I breathe deeply.

"Thank you Christian, for all of this."

"Our first fight resolved without screaming at each other, another first."

"Only took us what? Seven years?"

"Hey it's improvement. Now, bed?"

I don't think I want to sleep yet, I want my husband. These hormones are sending me crazy and I think Christian will be more than happy to help me out.

I turn my head and start to kiss his neck.

"I can think of something a lot more fun to do than sleep."

"Say no more."

Christian rolls us over until he's looming above me.

He kisses my lips again and then slowly moves down my neck. He stops between my breasts and takes a deep breath.

"Mmmmm."

"Christian, please."

He latches onto my left nipple and starts to suck, while one of his hands starts to massage my other breast.

"Owwww ahhhhh, Christian."

"Sorry baby, I'll be gentler."

"No, no, keep going," I am in heaven, but I don't think I can last much longer.

"Pleasure and pain baby," he moves his hand lower, skimming his fingertips over my stomach and then gently running a finger through my folds.

"Ohhhhh,"

"You want me?"

"Yes! Yes! All of you please."

Christian thrusts and fills me completely. He stares into my eyes and starts to move slowly. There is so much emotion in our little bubble. Fear, forgiveness, love and security.

I start to meet his thrusts, showing him that I need to find my release.

Christians starts to move faster.

"Oh god Ana, fuck."

"Baby, .going."

I can feel myself on the edge of my orgasm. Christian leans down and bites my earlobe, whispers "come for me," and I fall apart.

"Oh, Christian."

One more thrust and Christian stills inside of me.

"Fuck, Ana."

His body relaxes and lifts his head to look into my eyes.

"I needed that baby, I love you so much."

"I love you too."

Christian pulls out of me and moves to his side of the bed. He rolls me over, throws a leg over mine and spoons me. He starts to rub my belly and moves his nose to my hair to take a deep breath.

"I'm so glad we sorted this out, I hate fighting with you."

"I hate it too baby. Sleep now."

* * *

The rest of the working week passes uneventfully. I wake every day to morning sickness, tire myself completely and don't manage to make it into the office until mid-morning. Thank god Christian owns Grey Publishing or I wouldn't be getting away with this. I am also thankful that it's Saturday, and were supposed to be going over to Bellevue for my early birthday party. I'm turning 29. One more year till I hit my 30's, that's a little scary. Even though my husband is already 35, old man.

After we made up, Christian has been a lot more understanding of my mood swings. They are the worst they have ever been and we don't have any excuses to give to the kids. Yesterday I snapped at Teddy for leaving one of his toy trucks in the walkway. It was the first time I have yelled at him with such anger. He ignored me the entire night, choosing to lie all over his father and sulk. I apologised and feel really bad, but he definitely has the Grey grudge going on. I really hope everyone can suck it up for the party today. I don't want anyone to question our behaviour, or find out about our little secret.

The whole family is supposed to be there, well except my mom and Bob. In saying 'whole family' I mean all the Grey's, the Kavanaghs, and by that I mean Ethan and Mia, Ray and even Kate and Ethan's mom and dad. They've been coming to every family event since both of their children married a Grey. I've known them for so long that they've practically adopted Christian, Teddy and Phoebe and I into their family. It's so good to have such a large family, and my kids have so many people that love them. It's the complete opposite to my upbringing.

I am sitting in the bath alone since Christian offered to get the kids up, fed and dressed while I relax. He knows how exhausted I am. I am on the verge of turning into a prune so it's probably time to get out.

I'm out, dried and dressed in my best sweats before I go down to breakfast. It's only nine-thirty but we're supposed to be at Bellevue by 11 and with my sulking six-year-old who knows how long it'll take to get out of this house.

I walk into the kitchen to see Ted and Phoebe devouring syrup coated pancakes while Christian is using all his concentration to flip and not burn said pancakes.

"Morning family," I announce with a smile.

Phoebe squeals "mama!" and Teddy grumbles a hello.

I walk over to Christian and hug him from behind.

"Need any help?"

"Nope, I'm done. Pass that plate, will you?"

"Sure," I give him a plate to put the finished pancakes on.

He turns to me to whisper in my ear, "You think you can stomach it?"

"Yes actually, I'm starving."

"Great! Sit and I'll get you some juice."

I do as I'm told and sit next to Phoebe, it's clear the chair next to Ted has been saved for his father.

"You excited to go to grandma and grandpa's today, baby girl?"

"Is Ava gonna be there?"

"Of course, lovey. Uncle Ell, Auntie Katie, Uncle Ethan and Auntie Mimmy will be there too!"

"Cool!" she is then distracted by the fruit Christian puts on her plate.

"Remember guys, today we are celebrating mommy's birthday because she is becoming an old woman."

"Hey! You're older than me Mr-halfway-through-my-thirties!"

"Yeah, but baby, I don't look a day over 25," he winks at me.

I scoff and concentrate on my breakfast.

"How old is mommy turning?" I hear Ted's little voice say.

"She is turning 29 in two days! She is getting so old we will have to send her away to a home!" Christian answers with an evil grin.

The look of shock on my children's faces is priceless.

"He's kidding guys, mommy is not going anywhere."

Teddy and Phoebe visibly relax while Christian is trying to hold back laughter.

Ass.

* * *

We pull up to Carrick and Grace's house to see we're the last to arrive. Christian Grey was never late, until he had kids. Kids who refused to get changed into the proper attire and chose the toys they wanted to bring for an overnight stay.

We both get out of the car and unbuckle a child each. As we wait for someone to answer the door Christian makes it his job to straighten up Teddy's outfit, a white shirt and grey slacks, exactly what his father is wearing. Phoebe is in the cutest little lilac t-shirt dress, with a dark purple bow around her waist. The skirt is pushed out by a built in petticoat to just below her knees, she looks like a little doll.

The door opens and Carrick stands before us.

"Morning all! Happy early birthday, Ana," he leans to kiss me on the cheek and to hug Christian.

"Grampa!" Phoebe launches herself at Carrick and he lifts her and kisses her curls.

"Hey Pheebs, Teddy. Come inside," he moves to let us in and carries Phoebe down the hall to the main living area.

We shut the door and walk slowly behind. Teddy is latched onto Christian's side. Maybe he's unwell. He never acts like this.

From the squeals I'm guessing Phoebe found Ava. Those two, seriously. I am glad they have each other though. Maybe that's why Teddy is sulking, he knows he has to play with girls all day.

We walk into the family room to see Eden sitting against a baby pillow with Phoebe and Ava doting on her.

We make our rounds and say hello to everyone and they all wish me a happy birthday, Teddy still hasn't left Christian's side and mumbles some little hello's.

We go to sit on the only seats left in the room and as soon as Christian sits down Teddy crawls into his lap, chest to chest and lies his head on Christian's shoulder. Everyone is giving us weird looks and Grace mouths "what's wrong with him?" to which Christian just shrugs.

Christian leans down to whisper into Teddy's ear, asking him if he wants to go play with the girls, but Ted just shakes his head and puts his arms around his dad's neck like a vice. Christian moves his arms to rest around Teddy's body. I hope nothing is wrong with my boy.

* * *

After we've all caught up on each other's lives the children are starting to get a little rowdy and it's time to move the party outside. Even though it's September the weather is quite sunny, but they've set up a marquee just in case. The tables are set up with the most beautiful arrangement of sunflowers with other autumn coloured foliage. On one side is the buffet table which only has some nibbles and drinks on it right now.

Ethan takes the reins on child minding and starts up a game of chasey with Ava and Phoebe while holding Eden. You can see Elliot tensing when he thinks Ethan will drop her, but Kate seems to have full trust in him. We all try to convince Teddy to go and play with them but he hasn't let Christian let go of him, and if he tries he screams. Grace tried to feel for a temperature but he doesn't seem to have one.

The men sit at one table to talk, while the women sit at another. It's all talk about children and shopping until we hear Teddy's wailing again. I think Christian needs to use the toilet and Teddy won't let him go without him. My poor husband is going to need some back massages after this weekend.

"Ana, do you have any idea what could be wrong with Teddy?" Grace asks with a voice full of concern.

"Well, I yelled at him yesterday really bad for the first time ever. He left his truck in the walkway and I nearly tripped on it and just snapped. It has been sitting around there for weeks," I feel really bad now that I'm admitting what I did, "We talked and I apologised and I thought we were okay, but maybe not."

"Hmm, he does seem to be very connected to Christian at the moment."

"Yeah, earlier in the week he fell asleep on Christian's chest, you know, like he did when he was a baby?" She nods, "and since then he's been really clingy, but not as much as now."

"Are you sure everything's okay at school?" Mia pipes up.

"We asked and he said it was fine. We haven't heard anything from the school either."

"When we were over on Tuesday Phoebe was teasing him a bit, could it be that?" Kate asks.

"I don't think so, they always tease each other. I don't think Phe knows anything bad enough to hurt him much."

"That's true."

"I just don't know what to do. It's like he's reverting back to toddler behaviour. It's really worrying me."

"Don't worry darling, I'm sure it's nothing. He might feel tired or something, or just wants his dad," Grace tries to reassure me.

I look down and wring my fingers.

"I just don't know."

We're distracted by Christian walking back into the marquee, clearly struggling with carrying Teddy. He sits next to Elliot and I can see he's in pain.

"Hey buddy, do you wanna sit on my lap for a bit?"

"No!"

"Please Teddy bear, daddy just needs to get up and stretch a little. You can either sit on Uncle Ell's or Grandpa's lap or play with Uncle Ethan. Please just let me have a break, you can come back later," Christian is pleading with our son.

Teddy whimpers and holds his arms out to Elliot, who grabs him and places him on his lap like he was sitting with his dad.

"I can see what you mean about acting like a toddler, he's hardly talking."

"I know right? I'm so worried."

* * *

After a lot of persuading, Elliot managed to get Teddy on his back and went out to join Ethan. Carrick and Christian pull up chairs to our table and Christian puts his arm around me and audibly sighs.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just sore. Teddy wouldn't let go of me and the position he wants to be carried in is hell on my back. I don't know what's gotten into him."

"Me neither, did you ask him if he felt okay?"

"Numerous times, he said he doesn't feel sick but he could be lying."

"I've been tracking his behaviour and at lunch I'll watch what he eats, if he eats at all. It's a blessing you're staying overnight so I can be close if anything happens," Ah Grace, always the doctor.

"Thanks, mom," Christian tries to smile, but it's not convincing.

"Well it's nearing 12:30, shall we get lunch set up and call everyone in?" Carrick asks.

"Sounds good, Cary and Christian, come with me to help Gretchen bring the food down. Ana and Kate, would you be able to round up the troops?"

"Sure," we say in unison.

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**Holy moly long chapter! Expect the continuation soon :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Continuation of Ana's birthday party. Thanks for all the love!**

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_Ana POV_

We're all sitting at one large table eating our lunch. We had intended on having separate adult and child tables, but my son would not allow it, so we pushed the tables together. We convinced Teddy to sit next to Christian for lunch, and he only agreed as long as he can lean against his side. Lunch is a mixture of hamburgers, steak and salads for the older crowd and hotdogs, chicken nuggets and fries for the kids.

Ava and Phoebe are chattering away with Mia and Kate about all things girly, with some extra gurgling added by Eden. I'm glad they are distracted so they don't realise what's going on with Teddy. The adult conversation is limited with all eyes flitting from Teddy to Christian and myself.

Teddy has eaten some nuggets and fries and is picking food off Christian's plate. We usually wouldn't allow that kind of behaviour, but I think Christian just wants to make sure he is eating. I really didn't see my day playing out like this.

Grace stands and announces that it's time for presents. I'll be receiving gifts from everyone but Christian and the kids, since they'll give me theirs on Monday.

It's really sunny outside so I have the idea of sitting on the grass to open my presents. Maybe the vitamin D will do Teddy some good.

Gretchen brings us some blankets and we all sit in a circle with the perfectly wrapped gifts in the middle. I am sitting next to Christian, and he is resting an arm behind me, allowing me to lean back into his side. Grace is on my right with Phoebe in her lap, and Carrick, who is on Christian's left, is using Elliot and Ethan's help to try and control a squirming Teddy.

"Theodore! Behave! This is your mother's time," There goes my wish for a playful Christian today.

Ava gets up and hands me a pink box with a bow and a folded piece of card.

"Happy birthday Auntie Ana, I made this for you," She gives me a hug and I kiss her cheek.

"Thank you, cutie."

"It's from you and Eden isn't it, Ava?" Kate interjects.

"Oh yeah," Ava looks a little sheepish.

Eden is passed around the circle until she reaches me so I can give her a kiss too.

I keep her in my lap while I read the card. It's handwritten so Ava obviously had some help. Within the box is a photo frame that Ava and maybe Eden had hand decorated. It was covered in glitter and stick on rose and butterfly embellishments. The photo inside was one of the whole family from Phoebe's birthday party last month. It was beautiful. We pass Eden back around the circle until she lands back in Kate's lap.

Elliot passes me another box, telling me it was from all of them. It is a brand new Kindle. Christian must have told them my last one had broken after Phoebe took it and Christian stepped on it. I thank them while Ethan passes me the present from him and Mia. They've given me a red Ralph Lauren Kindle cover. My family must have conspired to buy me related gifts. I don't think I'm that hard to buy for. With it is a little booklet of 'Kavanagh Babysitting' vouchers, spanning from a few hours to a whole weekend. I thank them and tell them I will be putting them to good use.

Ray gives me a scrapbook of family photos from when I was a child. It brings tears to my eyes. Mr and Mrs Kavanagh give me a pair of beautiful sapphire earrings.

Carrick and Grace are last and she hands me a small box. I unwrap it to see a Cartier box. Inside is a gorgeous gold locket with tiny white gold flowers in one section on a gold chain. I open it to see that on either side is a photo of one of my grinning babies.

I can barely make out a "thank you" since my voice is so full of emotion. Christian leans in and kisses my temple.

* * *

Eden is getting fussy and Ava and Phoebe have been way too energetic today and are in need of a sleep, so we decide to go inside for cake and coffee. After everyone sang to me, and I cut my cake, we took a whole family photo which is now a tradition of ours at anyone's birthday. Kate leaves to nurse Eden and put her down while Elliot takes Ava and Pheebs upstairs to get them to have a short nap. Teddy is too old for naps now so Carrick takes him into his office to try and distract him.

I'm feeling pretty worn out myself so Christian and I cuddle up together on the couch.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm good, just a little tired. I'm worried I'll get sick tomorrow and everyone will find out about…" I wiggle my eyebrows. This family has a reputation of walking into rooms without announcement and I don't want to risk anyone hearing us.

"Baby, my room is the furthest from mom and dad's, and it's next to Elliot's who already knows. You'll be fine. We'll cover for you," he winks at me.

I turn a little to kiss him and he grabs my face and starts to make out with me. Kissing a boy on a couch in his parent's house, I feel like a teenager.

"God I love you, Anastasia."

"I love you too," I mumble against his lips.

I feel something hitting my leg and look down to see Teddy punching me with quite impressive force. He has this really angry look on my face.

"No! Stop! Daddy is mine!"

"Excuse me?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing Theodore?"

"Christian…" I scold. I hate him using those words around our extremely impressionable children.

"Shush, Ana. Theodore, stop hitting your mother right now!"

Teddy stills and looks up at his father.

Christian rises, he is in dominant mode. He grabs Teddy's arm and tugs him to walk out the door.

"Walk with me, now! Or I'll make you move myself!"

Teddy must sense his father's anger as he drops his head and follows him out the door.

* * *

_Christian POV_

I am all but dragging my son down the hall and into my parent's library. I sit him on a chair and kneel in front of him. I see fear in his eyes. I'm not intending to hurt him, or scare him, I'm just really fucking angry.

"Theodore, why were you hitting your mother just now?"

No response.

"Theodore, tell me. Why were you hitting mommy?"

His eyes start to go glassy and I know he's about to cry. I don't think I'm being mean. Stern, yes, but not mean.

"Come on, Teddy, tell me. Does this have something to do with why you've been all over me this afternoon?"

He gives a slight nod.

I'm not getting much information this way. Maybe I need to be a little softer with him.

"What's wrong buddy? You can tell daddy"

"B-b-b-because she was kissing you and I didn't want her to."

"Why's that? Mommy and I always kiss."

"Cos if you're gonna send me away I want to be with you before I go, not mommy. You are always with mommy," he gives a little hiccup and starts to cry.

"Why would we send you away?

"You and mommy were talking about me yesterday," hiccup, "and mommy said she was gonna send me to bad boys camp cos I put my toy in the wrong place."

"Teddy, was this by any chance when you were supposed to be in your room?"

He stares at his legs.

"Yes…but I don't wanna go to a bad boy's camp! I'm not a bad boy! I want to be with you. Mommy sometimes yells at you daddy, can you come with me to bad boy's camp?"

Tears are streaming down his face now, and making a mark on his white shirt.

I can't believe what is coming out of my son's mouth. The poor boy heard Ana's joke about sending him to army boot camp for his offence, to which I laughed and said it would be funny to see him in the uniform. Oh my god. My poor boy has spent all night and day thinking he's going to be sent away. That he needed to spend as much time with me since we wouldn't see him again. He's been ignoring his mother as he thinks she wants him to leave.

I think my heart may be breaking.

I open my arms.

"Come here buddy."

He jumps down and I envelop him in my arms. He is trembling and crying so hard.

"Mommy was just making a joke baby boy. We would never send you away. We love you way too much. We didn't know you were listening. Sometimes people send away really bad boys to camp so they get help, but you are nowhere near that okay? Mommy and I love you so, so much and we would miss you tons if you went anywhere. You are not leaving. Do you understand?"

I can feel his nod against my shoulder.

"I am so sorry that we made you think that. Why didn't you tell me about this before? When I asked?"

"I thought mommy would get angry."

"Mommy is not angry at you at all, buddy. She was so worried about you."

"So mommy doesn't want me to leave?"

This boy is exactly like his mother. They don't believe anything until you tell them about 100 times.

"Of course not! She can barely manage a day at work without missing you."

"…I feel kinda bad for hitting her now…" a new round of tears starts.

Oh, my sweet boy. I wipe his face with the sleeve of my shirt.

"Shall we go and say sorry then?"

He nods. I stand and see him raise his arms, wanting to be carried again.

"Can't you walk?"

"Please?" his sad little voice is my kryptonite.

I comply and I walk back down to the living room. As we enter I see Ana chatting with Kate, who on our arrival quickly leaves the room.

"Teddy would like to say something to his mother," I sit him on Ana's lap sideways and as soon as she sees his tear stained face goes into panic mode.

"What's wrong, Teddy bear?"

"Mommy, I'm really sorry for hitting you, I didn't mean it. I thought you were gonna send me to bad boy camp and I wanted daddy to be with me before I left."

Ana looks to me, eyes wide and raises her eyebrows. I mouth "tell you later" to her before she turns back to our son.

She wraps her arms around him kisses his head, rubbing circles on his back.

"It's okay baby, I forgive you. You will never leave us okay? I love you so much my cuddly Teddy bear," She squeezes him and he gives a little giggle.

"Love you too, mommy," and he leans up to kiss her cheek.

I can tell Ana has figured it out and is feeling incredibly bad. I can see it in her eyes.

"Let's go wake up the girls and then we can all play together."

Teddy climbs off her lap and grabs my hand. Once Ana is up he holds her hand too and beams. I can tell Ana is happy that everything is sorted, but the guilt about her comment is only just starting. It'll probably be even worse in her baby brain. I hope she can forget it though because even if it's not technically her birthday, she should be happy on one of the days we celebrate it.

* * *

Mr and Mrs Kavanagh and Ray left before dinner, and after a light meal of chicken and salad, I am snuggled on one of the love seats in the cinema room with my love in my arms.

We are watching some kid friendly, animated movie about a mouse, or a rabbit or something. I don't really care. It doesn't interest me, but we have to watch these things for the kids. I can hear giggling coming from the front row of recliners so I know they're enjoying it, and I'm glad Teddy is mostly back to normal.

I have put a blanket over Ana and myself, and in the darkness of the cinema I can rest my hands on my wife's belly without anyone noticing. We're on a couch at the back of the room, enjoying a little husband and wife time while the grandparents keep an eye on the kids.

I start rubbing my hands in circles and move them upwards until I reach her breasts. I continue rubbing them until Ana starts to squirm in my lap. She is creating friction against my already rock hard cock and it's taking all my energy not to groan. She knows what she's doing.

This is nothing though. I can go for a whole day with an erection. I do it most days actually, especially when Ana emails me our night time plans. Or when I talk to Ana. Or when I think of Ana. Okay I do it every day. Whatever. I have way more control than my wife.

I keep one hand massaging her breast; I cannot wait for these to get even larger. I am one lucky man. My right hand slowly moves down her body until I reach the waistband of her jeans, which are surprisingly loose. I feel around and realise she's already undone her button and fly. Cheeky. I slide my hand over the top of her jeans, rub her a little and cup her. She tries to grab my hand and force it under her jeans but she is no match for my strength.

I say "no," and retract my hand, buttoning her up on the way.

"You'll just have to wait for later," and even in the little light from the projector I can see her turn to me and scowl.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed/favourited/followed, but a special thank you to those who review every chapter and give thoughts and ideas as to what I should write about next. You guys keep me going! Also, I think I messed my dates up, which is super annoying. I'll try and fix it all soon.**

* * *

_Ana POV_

I am in bliss. There is a warmth coursing through my body and it feels so, so good. Something is lightly touching my face, but I know that if I open my eyes it means I have to wake up.

Someone is softly cooing my name and I feel their lips press against mine.

My eyelids flutter open to the image of a completely naked Christian above me. He is stroking my face with his fingertips and kisses me again.

"Happy birthday, baby."

I smile softly at him.

"Mmm, thank you," I raise my head a little in search for another kiss and he complies. He quickly enters me and I thrust my hips upward at the unexpected action. Christian slowly makes love to me and seems to be worshipping every part of my body. We slowly climb to our mutual release and Christian kisses me again before pulling out of me.

"What a way to wake up," I turn to my side to stare at my gorgeous husband.

"Well, we have made a tradition of early morning birthday sex," he smirks at me.

"True. Thank you again, Christian."

We are interrupted by a loud rumbling from my stomach. I giggle. Clearly my little ones are hungry.

"After seven years, I still love that giggle. How about I get the kids to come in here to keep you company while I make you all breakfast in bed?"

"Sure," isn't is Monday? "Wait, what time is it?"

"It's around seven thirty, why?"

"It's Monday, we both have work and the kids have school."

"We can just all be late, I don't really care. It's your day, and we're the Greys, we do what we want," he winks at me and then walks out of the room.

Of course, anything can be done if you're a Grey. It doesn't matter if you're late to work, you own the company. Who cares if your kids are late to school? A generous donation to the school fund will erase any misdemeanours off their records.

Whatever. It's my birthday and I guess I should be happy that I get to spend it with my family.

I hear little feet bounding down the hallway with a distant yell of "don't jump on mommy!" Teddy and Phoebe don't know about the babies yet so they probably won't follow their father's command.

Teddy reaches the bedroom first, I guess it's his longer legs, and jumps onto the foot of the bed. He quickly crawls to me and gives me a big hug.

"Happy birthday, mommy!"

"Thank you so much, Teddy bear," I pull him towards me for another big hug and I kiss his nose.

Phoebe stumbles into the room, clearly not happy at being woken up, and stands next to my side of the bed. I grab her and pull her onto my lap and she snuggles into my chest.

"Happy burfday, mama," I tilt her head towards me and pout my lips. She does a little body jump and kisses me.

"Thanks, baby girl."

I place a child on either side of me and pull the covers up. I turn on the rarely used flat screen TV that's on the wall opposite our bed in an attempt to entertain my kids. After some brain-dumbing cartoons, Christian walks in with a tray laden with breakfast foods. I am overwhelmed by the smell of eggs, and just barely make it over Phoebe and to the toilet before I start heaving.

I can hear Christian try and reassure Teddy that I'm fine as he runs in to hold my hair and rub my back. Thankfully it doesn't last long and the eggs have been removed from the room by my own personal vacuum cleaner, also known as Teddy.

I wash my face and brush my teeth before climbing back into bed.

"Are you okay, mommy? Are you sick?"

"I'm fine, honey," he gives me his little 'seriously?' look, such a Grey, "truly, I'm alright. Let's get back to breakfast. Wait, where's Phe?"

She comes running through the door.

"Here, mama. I got you lamby to make you feel better," she hands me her plush lamb toy.

Christian grabs her and places her on the bed.

"That was very thoughtful of you, Phoebe. Now everyone, eat."

Always the control freak.

* * *

Present receiving had been put off until tonight after my 'episode,' so now I'm stuck at work reading manuscripts and trying to ignore everyone. I know it's my birthday and it's 'my day', but I have always hated being the centre of attention. I'm fine with my family acknowledging my birthday, but gifts from colleagues and Christian's business associates can be awkward. My office is already full of flowers and gifts, like it is every year. The only flower arrangement I like was sent by my husband at lunch time. The card read:

_My dearest Anastasia,  
Happy 29__th__ birthday. You are the love and light of my life and the most wonderful mother to our children. I will make sure your day is one to remember and I will shower you with tokens of my love.  
Did I already say that I love you?  
Until tonight. Laters, baby.  
C x._

I'm excited for dinner tonight since I know it will just be us and the children. Gone are the days of private birthday dinners. But I guess I only had one of them before Teddy came along.

This day just needs to be over. Nothing is able to hold my attention, and these manuscripts need some serious work before their writers can even think of being signed. I'm leaving at four today and it cannot come fast enough.

* * *

By quarter to four I am already packing up my things and giving orders to Hannah and some of the editors. I'm anxious to get home and sort of glad I'll be able to take maternity leave in the near future. Apparently I'll need to stop working earlier in this pregnancy because I'm having twins, and because I'll be the size of a house.

Christian walks into my office at four on the dot and quickly escorts me out of the building and into the waiting SUV. Christian and I make out in the back seat the whole way home. We can be such adolescents sometimes.

As soon as we're home I realise there is far less noise than usual. We walk into the main room to see Gail and Phoebe colouring and looking very suspicious about it.

"Where is Teddy?"

"He is at soccer practice, Ana. It started this afternoon. Don't worry, he has Ryan with him."

"I completely forgot about that, thanks Gail."

Baby brain really sucks. I'll need to find out when Teddy's games start so I can watch him play.

"If you'll excuse us, Ana. Phoebe and I just need to quickly finish something."

Phoebe giggles as she grabs Gail's hand and they run to the dining room.

"I wonder what they're up to."

"Oh, I would have no idea," Christian smirks, "Come."

Christian seats us on the couch and I turn to face him.

"I want to give you one of your presents now, it's not finished and the kids can't see it."

"Alright?"

"Promise me you won't tell."

"I promise."

He hands me a small blue box with a white bow. Tiffany's. I open it slowly while I watch his face. He is so nervous about it. It's adorable.

I open the box to see a gorgeous ring. A beautiful round diamond sits in the middle with two smaller gemstones on each side. They are two different shades of green so it doesn't look symmetrical.

"The left is an Emerald, Teddy's birthstone and the right is a Peridot, which is Phoebe's. It's not finished since when the twins are born we can add two more. It can be easily altered. I didn't want to add their birthstones now since it could cause questions and their birth could be in either March or April."

"It's beautiful, Christian, and so thoughtful. Thank you."

I lean in to kiss him, and just as Christian's tongue brushes my lips to deepen it, we hear a loud "Ewww!"

I turn to see Teddy standing near us in his dirty soccer outfit.

"Hey buddy, how was school and soccer?"

He runs and jumps on the couch to sit between us. Christian lifts him onto his lap, sacrificing his suit pants to dirt to save the white fabric of the sofa.

"Really good! I can kick pretty far!"

"You'll have to show me sometime, bud!"

"Sure dad." Teddy turns to me, "Mommy, do you have a baby in your belly?"

Christian and I meet eyes, both wide with shock. I try to regain my composure.

"Why do you ask, Teddy?"

"Well daddy told Mr Mathers that I was late because of family commitals…"

"Commitments, Teddy," Christian interrupts.

"Yeah, yeah, them. So he asked me what we were doing and I said it was my mommy's birthday and we were having a special breakfast and cuddles in bed."

"And?"

"So Mr Mathers asked me what we had to eat for breakfast and I said pancakes, and bacon and I ate my mommy's eggs because the smell made her tummy sick."

Christian bumps Teddy's arm to encourage him to continue.

"And then, Mr Mathers asked if you were okay. So I said mommy sometimes doesn't feel good in the mornings and she gets real tired. And then, Mr Mathers asked me if I had a brother or sister on the way. And I didn't get it cos I already have Phoebe and he knows that. And then he said no Teddy, does your mom have a baby in her belly because it sounds like she does, and I said I don't know, so he told me to ask you!"

Christian gets up, roughly places Teddy on the ground and storms out of the room, Blackberry already at his ear. Probably calling this Mr Mathers to tell him to keep his mouth shut or else.

Sensing his father's anger, Teddy's bottom lip starts to tremble.

"Did I do something wrong, mommy?"

I pull him in for a hug and kiss his head.

"No baby, you didn't do anything wrong at all."

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Can nothing in our lives go to plan?


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Just the usual thanks for everything again! Sorry for the wait!**

* * *

_Christian POV_

Fuck, fucker and fucking hell. Who does this asshole think he is? Coaxing personal information out of my six-year-old son. An innocent child who trusts nearly every single person he meets.

I have every relevant number related to my child's schooling programmed into my phone, even their personal numbers. This fucker is getting an ear full.

"Hello, George Mathers speaking."

"Mr Mathers, this is Christian Grey," I am using my short, sharp and shiny CEO voice.

"Ah Mr Grey, to what do I owe the pleasure of speaking with you?"

"I think you know, Mr Mathers. It could possibly have something to do with you coaxing personal information out of my son."

"Mr Grey, I think must be mistaken. No, as you say 'coaxing,' happened. I merely asked your son why he was late and the conversation stemmed from there."

"Then why did you feel the need to question his mother's health, thus convincing him his mother is with child?"

"So Mrs Grey is not pregnant?"

"I didn't say that. Answer the initial question, Mr Mathers."

"Mr Grey, I try to build a relationship with each of my students. This includes talking with them about what is happening in their lives. I especially like to concentrate on the immediate family as it can affect the child's learning significantly. Teddy and I have spoken on many occasions about you, Mrs Grey and your daughter. I did not intend to gain information to then share it Mr Grey, you know the school has policies against us disclosing any personal details to non-personnel."

"I am aware of all the schools policies, Mr Mathers, and if I catch you or anyone working at that school spreading details about my family to anyone, I will make sure that you're thrown out on your ass and can never find a job again. Do you hear me?"

"Oh yes, loud and clear, Mr Grey. There's no need to worry though, I never speak to anyone about my students. Oh, and congratulations to you and your wife."

I hang up the phone without acknowledging his cocky well wishes. Asshole. I don't believe for a second that his only intention was to 'build a relationship' with my son. I should have got him to sign a personal NDA. Teachers talk to each other about their students every day, someone outside of faculty could easily overhear and tell the press. That would be a fucking nightmare. I don't even want to think how that could affect Ana. I need to make sure she is not put under any sort of stress. Stress is bad for the babies, I found that out when she was pregnant with Teddy.

I guess I need to face my wife and try to figure out what we are going to say to our son. How am I supposed to explain to a six-year-old that yes, his mother is pregnant but he can't tell anyone? Kids have no filter. They tell each other everything. I don't want to lie to my children, and I think our reaction kind of already gave the secret away. In his excitement Teddy would probably tell Phoebe, if we didn't do it ourselves, and she would find some way to tell her Grandma, Auntie Mimmy and Auntie Katie (even if she already knows).

Shit. Ana is only 10 weeks along, two weeks short of the 'safety' date. I really didn't want anyone to know until she actually started to show. I want to keep this secret as long as I can.

I walk back into the family room to see Ana and Teddy cuddled up under a blanket. She is softly talking to him, and as I approach I hear she's trying to convince him that he did nothing wrong and that I'm not angry at him. I sit on an armchair and watch them; they're too caught up in their conversation to notice me.

My poor boy, he has been through way too much emotional turmoil over the last few days. First he thinks his mom wants to get rid of him and now he thinks I'm angry at him.

Am I angry at him? No, I don't think I am. I'm angry at the situation he was in and angry at the 'professional' who has caused all this crap. Ever since Teddy was born I've tried to control my anger in front of the family. I'll go to my study or the in-home gym to work off my anger. A good fuck also helps but with young children around it's usually out of the question until bedtime. I know my anger has scared my kids, but when I lose control I can't help it.

I remember one time when Phoebe was two and had started becoming really interested in exploring the house. She had been a late walker and had only become confident with it several months before, probably because I insisted on carrying her everywhere. She couldn't open doors herself, so we started to leave the doors open to the rooms she was allowed in, no matter if they were in use or not. One day I was going off my head at Ros over a possible failing deal and my little angel toddled in without my noticing. I heard a whimpering and realised she was there and was crying. I ended my call and went to comfort her, but she put up a fight, kicking and screaming when I went to pick her up. I eventually had to hold her with vice-like strength while I tried to find Ana to calm her down. I was so scared that my anger had so much impact on my own child that I vowed never to get that angry in front of her again. Same went for Teddy. This anger was on a much smaller scale but it's obviously upset him.

I crouch down in front of Teddy to get his attention.

"Can we talk buddy?"

He just looks up at Ana who gives a nod.

"Swear you won't get angry again?"

"Pinky swear, Teddy," I stick out my little finger towards him, he joins his to mine and I kiss our fingers. I move to sit on his other side and pat my lap. Ana lifts the blanket so Teddy can move and sit on my legs, head to chest like usual.

I look down to my boy's incredibly sad face. He's staring into my shirt and avoiding my eyes. That's an Ana gene right there.

"Teddy, look at me please."

He lifts his head and the look in his eyes breaks my heart.

"Daddy isn't angry at you Teddy bear, okay? You didn't do anything wrong. Do you understand? Sometimes I get angry but don't ever blame yourself."

He gives a little nod.

"Alright, hug time," I give him a big squeeze and a kiss on the head. "Why don't you go into the kitchen, I think Gail could use some help finishing up mommy's birthday dinner."

He grins at me and jumps down to run to the kitchen. I turn to Ana who is just smiling at me.

"You're so good with him, and Phoebe," she leans over to leave a soft kiss on my lips. "What are we going to tell him about the baby thing? When we were talking before he was really curious so I said we'd have a family talk after dinner. I'm pretty sure that teacher has already convinced him that I am."

"Oh god. I guess we have to tell him, and Phoebe. They'll be spreading the news like wildfire at school though, and I bet someone will tell the press. Jesus, we need to tell our parents, and everyone else. This had to happen, didn't it?"

"It'll be okay, baby, I guess we just have to deal with it."

"I don't want this ruining your birthday," I lean over and stroke her cheek with my fingertips. She leans into my touch.

"It hasn't, baby. We can't expect them not to be curious, they're kids after all."

She's right. Of course a six and four-year-old are going to realise changes in their mother, and be inquisitive over a possible sibling. Teddy was 18 months when Ana fell pregnant with Phoebe and only understood the change when his mom had a huge "balloon" sticking out of her belly.

I lean in to kiss my wife and yet again am interrupted by a chorus of "ewww!" Ana giggles and I turn to see my munchkins with an arm outstretched each.

"We are here to escort mommy to her birthday dinner!" Teddy announces. Gail definitely fed him that line.

Ana stands and takes their hands and they all walk towards the dining room. I get out my Blackberry to send a quick text and then I follow quickly behind. The dining table is set with candles and a small centrepiece of roses.

Teddy stands to attention with Phoebe at his side.

"This is your birthday present from me and Pheebs."

"Happy birthday, mommy!" Phoebe jumps, claps and squeals. I wonder how long they've been keeping this secret, Gail definitely succeeded in pulling this off.

Teddy grabs Ana's hand and leads her to a chair at the head of the table. He does the gentlemanly thing of trying to push her chair in but needs a little assistance. Have my kids been in etiquette training?

I sit in the chair to Ana's left and Teddy takes the one to her right with Phoebe next to him. Gail enters with non-alcoholic sparkling cider and grape juice. I guess I'll try and be supportive to my wife and not have a drink. We all eat black cod with asparagus, potatoes and hollandaise sauce. The children have small portion sizes with no asparagus and I suspect Gail fed them something before dinner. Sneaky.

* * *

Our dinner conversation is light and happy and full of laughs. I play footsy with my wife under the table and she squirms in her seat. Mission accomplished. Birthday sex is one of the best kinds of sex and mixed with pregnancy sex, I'm in for a good night. I'm already getting a hard-on but I need to slow down my thoughts, a huge bulge in my pants could cause some questions from the kids.

Gail, Taylor and Sawyer join us in singing 'Happy Birthday' to Ana and we all have some chocolate cake. I'm dreading the sugar high.

I lead the four of us back into the lounge so we can give Ana her presents. I tell Teddy and Phoebe to go first and they hand her some homemade cards. So that's another thing Gail has been up to. Ana is in tears and has both children on her lap kissing all over their faces.

I am taking photos and video on my camera, like I do every year. I set up the camera on a tripod since I don't want anyone else in the room right now.

"Okay, daddy's turn!" I sit by Ana and hand her one of many boxes while kissing her softly. "Happy birthday, my love."

She reads the card and starts crying again. Must be the hormones making her so emotional.

"Thank you Christian, I love you so much."

She opens the box that houses a diamond necklace. I know she has tons of jewellery already but I don't think she can ever have enough. I've also given her a new laptop, hers was getting a little old, a few more early editions of her favourite books, a huge box full of framed family portraits we had taken on Phoebe's fourth birthday and a tiny box that had the code of our closet safe. She understood right away and gave me a devilish grin. I'd bought some new toys to spice up our kinky fuckery, but nothing would happen until we were certain the babies were okay.

I sit my children on the floor in front of Ana and myself so I can give my little speech.

"Okay guys, I know it's mommy's birthday, but we actually have a surprise for you too!" Their faces instantly light up. "Teddy, you know how Mr Mathers asked if your mom had a baby in her belly?" He nods enthusiastically, bouncing on the floor. "Well, not only does mommy have one baby in her belly, she actually has two!"

Teddy's face was priceless, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Phoebe looked confused.

"Mommy and daddy are having two more babies, which means you'll both have two new siblings!"

I think Phoebe gets it now since she smiles and claps.

"Are they boys or girls?"

"We're not sure yet, bud. We'll find out in 10 weeks, can you wait that long?"

He nods again. That boy will have a sore neck in the morning.

"How do they fit?"

"Well they're really small now, but they'll grow with mommy and she'll have big belly! Are you guys excited?"

"Yes!" they yell in unison.

"Okay, but this is gonna be our little secret. You can't tell anyone at school, okay?"

"Okay, dad!" I think Ted understands, but will probably forget at school and Phe will probably forget the entire thing until Ana starts to show.

* * *

Gail is taking a family photo when we hear the front door open and the loud sounds of Mia resonate through the house. Ana has a look of confusion on her face.

"Graaaaandpa!" is all you can hear as Teddy runs to my dad. Hugs, kisses and birthday wishes are all spread around until I can finally get everyone seated. Phoebe is all over Mia and Ethan and Teddy sits with his grandparents. I grab Ana's hand and smile at her; everyone's eyes are on us.

"Ana and I have an announcement to make," From their faces they think they know what's coming next. "Ana's pregnant," I say with a huge smile.

Mia is squealing and my mom, dad and Ethan look like they're about to get up to properly congratulate us.

"Wait, wait," I put my hand out to stop them, "with twins!" I don't know how but my grin gets even bigger.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" Mia is screeching and Ethan barely grabs Phoebe before Mia jumps up and runs to hug us. "Twins! I am so excited! Wait, where are Kate and Elliot?"

Ana looks at her feet, "they kind of already know, they found the sonogram." Mia looks a little offended. It was an accident, jeez.

My mom and dad approach us to hug and kiss us again. My family has gotten very touchy feely as of late, or maybe I just ignored it most of my life.

"How far along?" My mom asks.

"Only 10 weeks. We intended to wait to tell you, but I have a feeling the press will get wind of this soon and we wanted to tell you ourselves."

"What do you mean, Christian?"

"I mean that Teddy's teacher put together Ana's symptoms when he asked Teddy why he was late today and said he should ask if his mom was pregnant since it sounded like she was."

"Oh, how rude! We won't tell a soul until you give us the okay, we promise." They all agree.

* * *

My parents, Mia and Ethan helped put the kids to bed and left soon after. I was grateful since I wanted Ana to conserve her energy for tonight and she took the time to call her mom and Ray. Both were very excited and promised to visit soon, as usual.

I am lying on the bed, waiting for my wife to be finished in the bathroom. She kicked me out earlier, god knows why. I'm scared to ask these days.

She walks into the room in a pair of long, fleecy pyjamas. What the fuck? Not okay. I've never seen them before. Does she not understand I'm just going to rip them off?

I scoot to the side of the bed and motion her to stand between my legs. I run my hands up and down her sides.

"Baby, why are you wearing these? Haven't I always said you should be in satin or silk?"

She looks down at her feet embarrassed. Great.

"I don't feel comfortable in anything else, they show off all my pudge," Excuse me?! Pudge? My wife does not have pudge, she is perfect.

"What pudge, baby? You look perfect."

"This!" She lifts her top to show me her stomach, her tiny startings of a baby belly. I place my hands on her and spread my fingers.

"Let me tell you, Ana, that is not pudge. That is our children, growing from our love. There is nothing sexier," I move my hands to her sides and kiss all over her belly. She moans a little as I go lower. I stand to pick her up and lower her to the bed. I unbutton her shirt fully and place kisses all over her neck and breasts. "Are you ready for your next present? It's sure to be mind-blowing." I say with a wink. The only response I get is a contented moan, and I know I'm in for a sleepless night.

* * *

**A/N: Things are going to speed up a bit now. Let me know what you thought of the chapter! :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Thank you all so, so much for the reviews on my last chapter. I was smiling like a loon at some of them and felt really touched at others; you're all so lovely and keep me motivated :) Sorry for the space in between chapters, I've been a little busy lately.**

* * *

_Ana POV_

I'm standing side on in the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror. I have a very noticeable bump now and it's getting extremely hard to hide. This is so unlike my other pregnancies. With Teddy you could hardly tell I was pregnant if you saw me from behind, even when I was full term, and it was similar with Phoebe. Breastfeeding helped me get my shape back, and with some help from Claude, my body was similar to what it was pre-babies. My stomach even toned itself out after what felt like a million stomach crunches. Now I just feel fat. My bump is huge compared to my single pregnancies at 12 weeks and I swear my ass has doubled in size. Christian disagrees. I've hardly been in to work this last week in fear that someone will see my belly since only our families, the staff and my assistant know that I'm expecting. Even the kids have managed to not tell anyone, well that we know of, we enlisted Gail to help us out with that one. I'm hoping after today we'll be able to stop keeping this secret since I'd like to start wearing clothes other than bump-hiding bags.

Eugh, this bump is massive. I've been searching photos of other women who are having twins and it seems it's only going to get worse. I'm hoping I don't get so big I can't move, I'm sure Christian will be repulsed by me. I'm surprised he's not already with my ass being the size of Texas. My hormones haven't let up, in fact, they've been getting worse and I crave the touch of my husband all day. I'm not sure Christian will be able to keep up, he's getting pretty old, and I think I nearly shocked him to death when I started sexting him a few days ago. The only positive is that my morning sickness stopped last week and even though I get exhausted quickly, I've been feeling less tired overall.

Well, except for right now. At my last check it was 5:30am and I'd gotten up after tossing and turning for hours. It's finally Wednesday, and we have our appointment with Dr Greene to check on the babies and hopefully see what type of twins they are. I spent all night thinking about what could happen. I even grabbed my iPad to search all of the complications that come with monochorionic monoamniotic twins. I tried to calm myself with a hot bath but it didn't work very well. I think I kept Christian up for hours too and now he's sleeping like a log. Lucky bastard. I dress in my underwear and robe and brush through my drying hair. The house is silent and it's actually kind of nice. I love my kids but they can be insanely noisy, especially since Phoebe has learnt how to tease her brother and get a very vocal response.

I sneak out of the bathroom, past my now snoring husband and into the hall. I quickly check on each child and they are both sleeping soundly. They're not going to be happy this morning since security will be dropping them off at school instead of one of us. Our appointment isn't until nine so we're not bothering with work until after, I'm too paranoid and worried to work anyway.

I walk into the kitchen and snoop around the cupboards to see what I can make for breakfast while my tea is brewing, I'm craving pancakes. Gail won't be up and going till around six thirty so I have some time. I go to the library with my tea in search of something to read to pass the time. As I skim the shelves my eye catches on a book of baby names I've never seen before. We didn't use one for Teddy's name but maybe this is where Christian got the idea of Phoebe. It was quite a random suggestion. I grab it and settle down on the plush couch.

This is probably pointless so early in my pregnancy but I've always liked to look through names and learn their meanings. I wonder if I'm having boys or girls. I think Christian would prefer boys, even more so if he could make sure they turn out exactly like Teddy. I prefer classic and traditional names over unique names and spellings, and I love that we've honoured certain members of our family. We could name boys after Christian and Carrick, or two little girls after my mom and Kate, but I'd only use them as middle names.

I flick through the first few pages of the book that show the trends in names starting from the 1900's but I'm more interested in what parents have been calling their children recently. Names like William, Matthew and Daniel always seem to be in style; along with Emma and Olivia for girls. I don't think I want a name all the other kids in school will have. Maybe I should look at names from my favourite books as some British names are rare in the US. If I thought two names were hard, now I have to pick four.

I can hear Christian calling my name and I look to see that it's already six thirty. Wow, I've spent a lot of time pondering names. I need to get sorted out. The door creaks and Christian's head pops through. "Oh, there you are. I've been looking all over the house for you," he sighs in relief.

"Sorry baby, I've been up all night stressing so I thought I'd waste some time reading."

"What have you got there?" he asks while walking over to sit next to me. He grabs the book and turns to the cover. "I bought this when you were pregnant with Phoebe, why are you looking at it?"

"If you haven't noticed we're having two more babies, and babies are usually given names." My smirk is returned with a glare. I think it's a playful one.

"Funny, Ana. Isn't it a little early for this? We don't even know what we're having." He is flicking through the book now and I can tell he's stopped on the boy names section.

"I don't know, I was just bored and I want to know what other people are naming their children, so we don't name them the same thing," I smile triumphantly.

"We should probably get a more recent book then. This is where I found Phoebe's name, you know," he's speaking in his wistful voice now.

"I figured you had when I saw the pen line circle around it," I snuggle into his side, "were you really thinking of Charlotte or Madeleine?"

"Yes, I think Charlotte Grey sounds pretty good, Madeleine Grey as well."

"I guess so, but I like Phoebe better," I nudge his side a little and turn to kiss his shoulder.

"That reminds me, where is my good morning kiss?"

"I'm so sorry, sir. Coming right up," I grab his face and pull him down for passionate kiss. We sit there for a while, tongues fighting each other and hands everywhere with the baby names book forgotten.

I pull back first and go to stand up, holding my hands out to help up my elderly husband. "Come on oldie, we gotta get going."

"Quit calling me old, wench," he says as he grabs my hand and we walk to the hallway.

"Go and shower while I help Gail and get the kids up." Christian leans down for another kiss before I forcefully turn him around, "now, scoot!" I say and pinch his butt. He replies with a growl over his shoulder and walks towards our bedroom.

* * *

I'm sitting in Dr Greene's office with my blouse rolled up to under my breasts. My baby bump looks kind of cute from this angle. I'm holding Christian's hand while we wait for the good doctor to start our appointment. Thankfully we had a stress free morning with each child not pitching a fit over the car arrangements. Christian made sure I drank the right amount of liquids for my ultrasound, but only after a few rounds of lets-kill-the-nerves sex.

The door opens and Dr Greene walks in with a big smile on her face. "Morning Ana, Mr Grey. How are you today?"

"Good," Christian answers in a clipped voice. Someone is a little antsy.

"Doing well, my morning sickness has stopped," I smile as the doctor sits next to me and pulls over the sonogram machine.

"That's great to hear, Ana. Anything else to report?"

"I don't think so, just that my belly is really starting to show, way more than with the others."

"Well you have two this time. Let's measure you," she measure my bump vertically, "great, everything is on track for a twin pregnancy, Ana." She smiles warmly at me. "Time for the ultrasound and as always, the jelly may be a little cold." She squirts blue jelly on my belly and grabs the wand and starts to move it.

We sit for what seems like hours until Dr Greene freezes her hand. Her face is expressionless and I grip Christian's hand tighter.

"Good news, Greys. If you look here," she points to a thin line in the middle of the screen, "that is the line of the inner membranes, showing each in their own sac. It looks like you have monochorionic diamniotic twins."

Christian and I sigh in relief. This is the best news we could have gotten. Dr Greene prints out more copies of the sonograms since you can actually see two little babies now. We're told they're the right size for their development which is great news. She also fills us in on other complications that can happen with twins, but that we are a lot safer now we know they're in separate sacs. Another appointment is made for 16 weeks and at the rate of their growth, we should know the gender by the 20th week. I'm so excited. I want to start planning the nursery and buying all new clothes.

* * *

My exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks as soon as I sat down in the car. Christian demanded that I not go to work and even rung Lowell and Hannah to tell them of my absence. I bet they're getting kind of annoyed that I never show up for work but I can't find it in me to care.

After bumming around the house for a while I had an early lunch of subs with Gail and intended on taking a short nap. Turns out my short nap turned into one long sleep and I am woken up by the sounds of my children running through the front door.

"Gaaaaaail! I'm hungry!" Teddy whines. He is always hungry. This could be the beginning of a growth spurt. He also always says the same thing when he gets home from school; it's funny to see how your children behave when their parents aren't around.

"Teddy, shoes by the door and then I'll make you a snack." Gail admonishes. I can hear Teddy stomping back down the hall to remove his muddy shoes. Phoebe walks slowly through the house, making her way towards the stairs. She looks really tired which is worrying since she's usually a huge ball of energy.

"Boo!"

She turns looking like she's had the shock of her life.

"Mommy!" She runs to me and jumps on the couch to give me a hug and kiss.

"Um Phoebe, I think you forgot to give hello kisses to someone…" She looks confused but I see the realisation spread across her face

"Hi, bubbas," she kisses my tiny belly and giggles. "Teedddy! Mommy's home!" I have to move my head away in a knee-jerk reaction from her being so loud. I hear him running again and he jumps onto the couch on my other side.

"Hey, mom!" I am also greeted with a hug. He seems a little off but I think it's just because Gail gave him a banana as a snack instead of something sweet.

"I got something really cool from the doctor today, do you guys wanna see it?" They both nod with huge smiles on their faces and Phoebe claps. "Okay, cuddle up to me then," I have both children stuck to my sides as I bring out the sonogram picture. "These are your baby brothers or sisters, there's one here," I point to the left foetus, "and, one here," I point to the other.

We just sit and stare for a while with the silence being broken by a "that's sooooo cool," from Teddy.

* * *

**A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Thanks for all the love yet again! Sorry there has been so much time between chapters, real life sucks sometimes! I'm going to try and update more often :) Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think or any ideas etc. as usual.**

* * *

_Ana POV_

The office is dead quiet today. A bunch of the editors and their assistants are in New York for a conference, one that fifty would not allow me to attend, and the majority of the remaining staff have taken the day off. It's really only Hannah, the IT department and myself. The company phone line is down and they're trying to locate the problem. I was swamped with paperwork this morning due to taking so much leave, but I was efficient with my time so I am now sitting at my desk bored out of my brains. Then again, I prefer this to what happened yesterday. After Wednesday I stopped actively hiding my belly, there was no point and I can only wear so many loose tops. Most of my colleagues were too scared to ask me personally, so they wheedled it out of Hannah. I gave my okay for them to know and have been getting congratulatory hugs and flowers ever since. I need some quiet time.

I can't wait to get home. The thought of a stress free weekend brightens my mood. The weather is supposed to be surprisingly mild for this time of year and Christian wants to take us all out on _The Grace _before it's no longer possible. I know he wants it to be just our little family, but I think it will be nice to at least have Elliot, Kate and their kids with us. It would bring a good distraction for Ted and Phoebe so the adults can do what they like. I should ask if we can go out twice.

* * *

_**From:**__ Anastasia Grey_

_**Subject:**__ Weekend_

_**Date:**__ September 28 2018 1:04pm_

_**To:**__ Christian Grey_

_Husband,_

_Work is so very boring with everyone in New York. How is your day? Have you heard anything from the guards about Phoebe? _

_And don't worry, I ate all of my lunch. I am so excited for a relaxing weekend with you._

_Ana xx._

_Anastasia Grey_

_Bored Co-President, Grey Publishing_

* * *

Today Phoebe was on a field trip to the zoo. Her class are doing a section on animals and she has been talking about this trip all week. All the parents had been asked if they could volunteer their time to also attend, but neither Christian nor I could spare the time with him settling a new deal and myself already having taken too many days off. Apparently most of the other parents are in the same boat, or they just can't be bothered to go. There was no worry though since Christian singed up the security team to 'chaperone' instead. Child minding has become a new addition in their job descriptions but Christian is giving them a bonus for this anyway. The school was very happy with this arrangement and they'll probably expect this each time one of our children has to leave the school. I'm sure over protective fifty will be more than happy to oblige.

I'm staring off into space when I hear the tell-tale _ping_ of my email alert.

* * *

_**From:**__ Christian Grey_

_**Subject:**__ My day…_

_**Date:**__ September 28 2018 1:10pm_

_**To:**__ Anastasia Grey_

_Is considerably better now that you have emailed me. You know my reasons for not letting you go to New York and trying to guilt trip me will not benefit you in any way, please stop bringing it up. _

_I have nearly sorted out my newest merger after the idiot running it has finally realised how much he has screwed up his entire company. Quite funny, actually. I have not heard much from the guards at the zoo other than Phoebe got very excited when she saw the Lions and Big Cats and tried to get close to the fencing. Reynolds had the smarts to hold her back. _

_Is there something wrong with the phones? I can't get through to you and your Blackberry is ringing out._

_I am glad you're eating. I'm hungry myself, but not for food. Can't wait to come home and see you. _

_Christian Grey_

_Happy and hard CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. _

* * *

From sweet fifty, to controlling fifty and back to my loving and sex crazed husband. That sure is a lot of mood changes in a singular email. Of course Phoebe tried to run to the cages, she's a child. Christian has a rule where you need to stand one body width away from the perimeter in case the animals attack you. According to him zoo animals are still feral even though many of them were born into captivity. My Blackberry? I hadn't even taken notice of it. I look through my bag and it's not there, I probably left it on the charger. Baby brain strikes again.

I'm about to reply when I hear a knocking on my door. It's Hannah with a new manuscript that an editor thinks we should publish. Christian will be able to deal with me not replying for a while. Hannah is a gem and also brought me some tea; she really knows how to please her boss.

* * *

_Christian POV_

My wife will be the death of me. She isn't replying to my emails and I can't get a hold of her personal or work phone. I stupidly sent Sawyer to watch over the rookie security guards who were chaperoning Phoebe's field trip so I can't call him. Hannah must silence her personal cell at work since she isn't picking up. I don't know why Ana isn't answering her Blackberry but it wouldn't surprise me if she left it at home. I am getting to the point of sending Taylor over to Grey Publishing just to check that she's okay. Unfortunately I have a meeting with the CEO of a company I'm merging into Grey Enterprises Holdings. He is not happy with how I called out every problem with his leadership and he has anger issues. I need Taylor with me in case anything goes wrong.

I'm distracted during the meeting. My heads of department are going through all the specifics with the stupid man and they need to repeat them several times before he understands. It is becoming the dullest meeting I have ever been in. I'm worried about Ana as I haven't gotten a security update about how she is. She convinced me she would be fine without Sawyer but I need to know what each member of my family is doing and if they are safe.

My pocket vibrates and I grab my phone quickly. I don't give a fuck that I'm in a meeting, it's my company and I'll act however the fuck I want. Shit-EO over there doesn't seem to agree. Asshole. I have a text message from Sawyer. What the fuck. My security knows to call when there's a problem.

** FROM: Luke Sawyer  
911 PGG  
ETA to SH 4mins**

Emergency, Phoebe Grace Grey, estimated time of arrival to Seattle Hospital of four minutes?! What the fuck is going on?!

I look to Taylor who seems to have gotten the same message as I did. Code messages are only used in times of extreme emergency when there is no time to call. Taylor is already trying to ring Sawyer or some other guard while I need to get the fuck out of this meeting.

"Excuse me, this meeting ends now. Family emergency. You will be called with the details of the rescheduling." I ignore their stunned faces and I am out the door and speed walking down the corridor to the elevators. Taylor is waiting by an open elevator door while he is on the phone, his face looks worried which only fuels my curiosity of what the fuck is going on. What is wrong with my baby girl?! She was at the zoo for christ's sake, anything could happen to her!

I walk straight into the elevator and hit the parking garage button with full force. Taylor gives an attention seeking cough.

"Sir, Sawyer didn't answer but I was about to get a hold of Ryan. He said Phoebe's teacher was giving out candy to the children for behaving so well and let them play on some grass at the zoo," Taylor starts to look really uncomfortable, and I run my hand through my hair, "Next thing they saw was Phoebe struggling to breathe. Reynolds and Ryan ran to her and tried to dislodge whatever she was choking on but she soon lost consciousness. Paramedics were called and Sawyer rode in the ambulance with her."

Fuck.

"Is that all you have?!" I'm struggling between emotions of anger and complete worry and devastation.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm guessing Sawyer is with Phoebe now and the rest of the zoo security is sorting out how to get the children back to school." His face is full of sadness. He has become attached to Phoebe. Well, it's not hard to. She's the most adorable little girl on the planet. Oh god. My little princess. My baby girl. Nothing can happen to my Phoebe.

We are out of the elevator and getting into the SUV.

"Do Ana and Teddy know?"

"Teddy's guard has been called and he is trying to get him out of class. No one has been able to contact Mrs Grey."

For fucks sake. Taylor speeds out of the parking lot. He doesn't need to be told that he needs to drive as fast as he can.

"The phone lines are down at GP, I'll email her and we need to pick her up," I choke back a sob as I talk but then the tears start running down my face. I can't help it. I don't even know if my baby girl is okay. I should have gone with her on that fucking field trip.

* * *

_**From:**__ Christian Grey_

_**Subject:**__ EMERGENCY_

_**Date:**__ September 28 2018 3:17pm_

_**To:**__ Anastasia Grey_

_GET HANNAH TO PICK UP HER FUCKING CELL. PHOEBE IS IN THE HOSPITAL. ON MY WAY TO YOU NOW, MEET ME OUT FRONT!_

_Christian Grey_

_CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. _

* * *

"She will be okay, sir," Taylor's sad voice carries to me. I can only nod in response.

We end up at GP but Ana is nowhere in sight. Fuck.

"Stay here with the car on. I'll run and get her."

My face and my eyes along with the fact I'm sprinting through the lobby alert the buildings security to quickly secure me an elevator. I smack Ana's floor number and the button to close the doors. As soon as they open enough for me to fit through I'm running to her office. I don't bother to knock and barge straight in. Ana is sitting drinking tea with Hannah. She looks up at the noise and from her reaction, I must look like a mess.

"Christian? Are you okay? What's wrong?" She gets up and walks over to me. I am frozen to the spot.

"Phoebe. Choked. Hospital now," is all I can get out.

"What are you talking about, Christian?" Ana puts her hands on each side of my face. I take a deep breath.

"Did you get my email?" she shakes her head. "Phoebe choked at the zoo and…stopped…breathing and she's…she's…" I start sobbing, "in…the…hospital. We need…to go."

Ana's face pales and I grab her around the waist in case she falls. I start walking backwards towards the door and she seems to be able to follow.

"No. My baby. My little baby," Ana is crying softly and mumbling as I try to move out of the room. Hannah gets up and helps me walk her to the elevator. I tighten my hold around her so she's basically hugging me. Hannah helps us get through the building and opens the car door.

I nod in thanks to her, not trusting me voice yet. I put Ana in the car and click in her seatbelt. I get in next to her and envelop her in my arms again. She is crying so hard her whole body is moving and she buries her face in my chest.

I can only manage "Drive, Taylor!" before I rest my head on my wife's and cry along with her. As we speed off towards the hospital I can't even whisper any form of comfort since I don't know what to believe myself.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Okay, so I felt bad about leaving you with such a cliff-hanger so I wrote a short chapter! Thanks for everything! For some reason I find it easier to write Christian POV, odd.**

* * *

_Christian POV_

The car slows as we enter the boundaries of the hospital and I wipe my face and eyes. I reach down and softly clean Ana's face before resting our foreheads against each other. We just stare into each other's eyes until Taylor opens Ana's door to help her out. I quickly jump out of my side and make my way around the car until I reach my wife. Her shoulders are slumped and I'm sure she won't be able to walk on her own. I shudder to think what this stress is doing to the babies. I loop one arm around her waist and we walk into the reception area.

One of the new security guards, Benton, motions to us to follow him and we end up in the paediatrics ward. I'm not sure whether I should be relieved or worried that we weren't taken to the ER. It must mean she has already been admitted or is in the process of it. My mom is standing by the nurses' station waiting for us and walks to put her arms around Ana and myself. Ana starts to cry harder as mom rubs her back.

"Darling, Phoebe is okay, she is awake and asking for you." Ana lifts her head and he eyes are wide. "Come with me, she's just down the hall."

Mom and I stand on each side of Ana and walk down a corridor that is covered in colourful paintings of animals. As soon as we enter the room I see my little darling propped up on a few pillows with an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose and an IV line in her little arm. This just looks so wrong. She is so tiny and looks very sad. Sawyer is sitting next to the bed and points to us. Phoebe sees us and a huge smile crosses her face. Ana runs to her and throws her arms around her and starts sobbing again. I see Sawyer and mom leave the room as I walk to the bed and wrap my arms around both of my girls.

Phoebe is trying to talk but we can't really understand her due to the mask. I don't want to take it off without permission from a doctor so I do my best to comfort her.

"It's okay, princess, mommy and daddy are here now." Ana starts crying harder, if that's possible, and it sets Phoebe off too. Seeing them both cry is bringing tears to my own eyes. I try to bite them back so I don't make their emotions worse. Phoebe gets hysterical when she sees me upset. I hear the door open and my son shout to me. I turn and crouch down as he runs into my arms. No one seems to have told him what's happened as he looks extremely scared. I stand back up while holding him so he can kiss his sister. He looks even more frightened by the mask and the needle.

"Phoebe is fine, buddy, she's going to be okay. They just needed to put those things on her to make her feel better." Ted just nods in response.

Mom and another doctor walk in holding a chart.

"Mr and Mrs Grey? Hi, I'm Dr Mackie," We shake hands, "I treated your daughter in emergency. Would we be able to talk outside?"

"Yes, of course." I'm still holding Teddy in one arm and I'm not quite sure what to do with him. Mom sees my uncertainty and calls Sawyer back into the room.

"Christian, you can put Teddy on the bed with Phoebe if he'd like. On the opposite side to her IV though." I go to put Teddy on the bed and Phoebe moves over a little. Sawyer goes to sit next to the bed again and asks Ted about his day while Ana and I follow my mom and the doctor into the corridor.

"As you've been told, Phoebe choked today on a small candy. We were told by your security that back blows were administered but were unsuccessful in dislodging the obstruction. Phoebe couldn't breathe properly and fell unconscious. An ambulance had been called and the on-site zoo paramedics attended to her and were able to remove the candy. She still wasn't breathing though so CPR was performed," Ana and I simultaneously hold our hands tighter, "They were able to start her breathing but she was still unconscious until she came to the hospital, she only woke about five minutes before you arrived. Now, we haven't been able to pick up on any serious effects to her health as of now, but I'd like to keep her overnight so we can monitor her breathing and if she was any way injured by the back blows and CPR."

"Thank you so much, doctor," Ana says softly.

"Do you think any long lasting side effects will become evident?" I don't want there to be anything wrong with my baby girl.

"We would usually be able to tell by now, and we don't think she stopped breathing long enough for there to be any brain damage. Dr Trevelyan here says she has been acting like her normal self."

"Why does she have an IV?"

"She complained of some pain in her back so we are giving her a low dose of painkillers. She also was a little dehydrated when she came in so that will fix it up."

"Thank you, doctor, truly." I give her a small smile.

"You're welcome, Mr Grey. I'm glad she's okay. You have a very sweet little girl in there."

Ana smiles a little and I thank Dr Mackie again. I'm so relieved Phoebe will be okay, but the pain from her being hit angers me a little. I'm sure it was done to save her, but the thought of a man hitting my child is unnerving. I'm definitely keeping her under my watchful eye for a long time now.

We walk back into the room and as soon as Phoebe sees Ana she holds up her arms and whimpers. Sawyer leaves to man the door and I grab Teddy to sit in my lap in the chair. Ana climbs onto the bed and Phoebe snuggles up to her. They are whispering to each other and I can see tears silently making their way down Ana's face. Teddy must be tired since he adjusts himself to snuggle against me and I lean back to make him more comfortable. I watch my two favourite girls and think about how lucky we are that we didn't lose our baby.

* * *

**A/N2: I couldn't bring myself to do anything to darling Phoebe! Even though she's fictional, I just want to give her a hug!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Thanks for the lovely love! This is a filly chapter so I can close up the whole Phoebe thing! **

* * *

_Ana POV_

I'm cuddling with my daughter on her hospital bed while Christian takes Teddy to Grace and Carrick's house. They've taken the oxygen mask off her face but she still has the IV line in her arm. Taylor brought over some dinner that Gail had made for us and we kept Ted here as late as we could before he got tired and grumpy. Christian and I don't want to leave Phoebe here alone so he has convinced them to bring in another bed.

I have the TV turned on to a princess movie but Phoebe doesn't seem very interested. She is lying on her side as her back is sore and they won't give her a higher dosage of pain medication. I hate seeing my little girl in pain, whenever she winces it makes me want to cry. I run my hands through her curls trying to comfort her.

"How are you feeling, baby?" I ask her in my soft mommy voice.

"Hurts, mama," I can tell she's about to cry again.

"I know, baby girl, but it'll be better soon. Do want to try and sleep for me?"

"Can I sleep with you, mama?" She asks looking hopeful.

"Maybe, but we need to be careful with the babies," I look down and pat my stomach. Phoebe copies my actions and it warms my heart. I love that both kids are so excited about their new siblings.

"When will the bubbas be here?"

"Not for a while yet, honey," I see her little face fall, "but it'll be worth the wait."

"They can share my room, mama, and can use my prammy."

"Sweetie, the babies will be in mine and daddy's room and then they'll have their own nursery. They'll also need their own pram because there'll be two of them!" I try to animate my voice as best as I can, "your prammy only holds one! And, what if you want to ride in your prammy?"

"I too old for prammy, mama!" She has a little scowl on her face. My job of distracting her is working.

"Whatever you say, baby. Maybe I'll even let you help push them," I give her a little wink. "Do you want to be mommy's little helper?"

She nods enthusiastically. Christian walks in and gives us both a kiss.

"What are my favourite ladies up to?" He goes to move the bed they brought in closer to ours and sits on it.

"Mama said I can be the baby helper!" Worry flicks across Christian's face before he can hide it. Phoebe probably didn't notice but I sure did. He's probably scared about a four year old handling newborns. Geez. It's not like I'm going to actually allow her care for them, just maybe let her gently push a swing and hold on to the pram handle.

"Really, mommy? I thought I was your baby helper!" Christian acts offended and Phoebe pouts.

"It's okay, Pheebs. He's their daddy, you can help us both." That perks her up a bit. We're going to need to talk about how involved the children will be with the babies. I want them to always be together, but I bet Christian will want to lock them in their nursery until they're one. Control freak. "By the way, Christian, Phoebe wants one of us to sleep with her in her bed but I don't think it's safe for me with the babies."

"You're right. Phe, do you mind if daddy sleeps in your bed tonight?" She shakes her head no in response. Christian helps me off the bed and pushes them further together. This is probably breaking hospital procedure but I don't think he cares. We both climb back onto the bed and Phoebe lies on her father Teddy-style. I hope this doesn't become a habit for her too or Christian is going to end up with all his children hanging off him.

Phoebe starts to drift off as Christian rubs her back. We can hear her breathing getting deeper and know that she's entering a deep sleep. Christian turns his head to face me which means he wants to talk.

"So, what's this about Phoebe helping with the babies?" He has a questioning look in his eye that barely covers the worry.

"I don't mean really help out. Just sitting with them, or holding the pram with me. You know, to make it seem like she's helping?"

"Oh okay, I guess that's okay." He doesn't seem convinced.

"I had to say something; she was offering her room and her pram for them which obviously wouldn't work, and I didn't want to upset her further in the condition she's in."

"I see. When I was at mom and dad's place Teddy told me to remind you about a play date tomorrow afternoon. Did I approve this?"

"Well, well, well. Mr Control freak forgot something. Yes, you did approve this. It's with his friends Jamie and Cooper and their mothers at Jamie's house. One of us needs to go with him."

"Don't get smart with me. How about you go? It would be pretty awkward if I'm the only dad and I'd like to stay home and care for my Phoebe."

"Sure whatever, Christian. Can we go to sleep now?"

"Okay, baby. Sweet dreams. I love you." He gives me a light kiss on the lips.

"Night, love you too," my words come out a little slurred and before I know it my eyes are closed as I fall asleep.

* * *

_Christian POV_

Phoebe is examined early in the morning and is cleared of any major problems. She will probably have a sore back and chest for a few days though. We finalise her discharge papers and I carry her to the SUV and carefully strap her into the car seat. I can tell she's uncomfortable but I refuse to let her ride without being buckled up. She was given some more painkillers before we left so I hope they kick in on the drive home and make her fall asleep. Ana seems kind of pissed with me but I'm going to blame it on hormones.

We pick up Teddy from my parents and finally make it home. Both Ana and I need a shower badly before we can do anything today. I've settled Phoebe in her bed and Teddy is off playing trains with Sawyer so I take my chance at a shower with my wife.

I can already hear the water flowing as I enter our bedroom but as I go to open the bathroom door, I find it locked. Okay, so she is pissed at me. I can't think why. Is it because I told her to accompany Teddy to his play date? Why would that annoy her? Or because I told her to stop being smart with me? I'm going to really need to learn to pick what I say around this pregnant Ana, it's never been this bad before.

"Baby? Can I come in and shower?" My voice is soft and apologetic. I don't get any reply. "Ana, baby?"

"Go away, Christian. You can shower when I'm done."

I go to sit on our bed to wait this out. Ana emerges from the bathroom and ignores me as she walks to our closet. I decide to go and shower since there's no point trying to talk to my wife when she's in this mood.

Once I'm done the room is empty again. I walk down the hall to find Ana helping Teddy get dressed in some ratty jeans and an old hoodie.

"He is not wearing that out," I state.

"Yes he is, aren't you, Ted?"

Ana nods and Teddy nods along with her. Momma's boy.

"He looks poor. He has many pairs of good jeans and new sweaters."

"He needs play clothes, Christian. This is what he usually wears when he goes for play dates. You're always at work when he goes so how would you know?"

"Whatever, Ana," I walk to Teddy's dresser and grab another sweater, "just put him in this sweater, that one has a food stain on it." I throw the clothing in their direction and walk away.

"Daaaaaddy!" I hear my sweet Phoebe call. I walk into her room and she's sitting up in bed.

"What's up, baby girl?"

"I wanna play!"

"Do you really? Where would you like to play?"

"Down the stairs," she holds her arms out, "carry me, daddy?" She gives me the puppy dog eyes. How can I resist that? I help her change and carry her to the family room. She's left her baby doll and play pram down there so I guess we're playing mommies and daddies.

Teddy and Ana are eating sandwiches at the breakfast bar and there are two extra places set. At least she's not so pissed she wants to starve me. I see Teddy is dressed in the sweater I chose so another victory goes to me. I help Phoebe into her chair and we all eat in silence.

Just before Ana and Teddy leave I pull my wife aside to try and find out what the hell is going on.

"Why are you acting so short with me?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Christian." Yeah hardy-har, Ana.

"You've been acting weird since before we fell asleep last night, and you never reject me for a shower together," I put on my best puppy dog face.

"You just said some stuff that I didn't agree with, okay?" She looks down at her feet.

"What was it? I don't want you to leave this house angry at me."

"Christian," she's huffing at me now.

"Tell me now, Ana," I'm getting CEO demanding now.

"Well…," I try and nod to speed her along, "you got all angry and short last night when I was just joking around with you…" I keep staring at her, "and, uh, you need to stop calling Phoebe 'yours' because she is 'ours,' okay?"

I nod. I don't even bother to bring up that she calls the kids 'hers' sometimes, or that we've been referring to them like that for the past six years. Bloody hormones.

"You also need to not undermine my decisions. Teddy will dress how I want and I can't be bothered arguing about it. I also want to apologise for saying you're never here for play dates. I'm so up and down right now, I don't know what's going on."

"I'm sorry, baby, I think I was just stressed. I'll also try to change how I talk as I know she's ours. Now you better get going so you're not late," I lean down to kiss her, "I love you so much, baby. Never forget that." I kiss her again. "Teddy! Mom is leaving now!"

Teddy bounds down the hall and I give him a hug and kiss before they leave the house. Now I have the whole afternoon for myself and the princess.

* * *

I've played mommies and daddies, tea parties, dollhouses, coloured in pictures and watched a princess movie with Phoebe, but she is bored again and I can't think of something for her to do. She's lying on the floor getting restless and I know I'm about to witness a meltdown. I don't think I've ever had this much alone time with Phoebe. Usually I have Ana, Gail, mom or Mia to give me ideas and help me out. Even though we weened her off naps recently, I think she's becoming overtired from the hospital visit and she's not allowed any more painkillers.

I hear whimpering and I know there's wailing to come.

"Daaadaaa, daaadaaa!"

"Yes, baby girl?"

"Daaaaadaaaa!" Oh crap. I walk over to her and pick her up, trying to console her. I've never seen her like this before and I have no idea what to do. I should call Ana. I grab my phone and she picks up after a few rings.

"Hello, Christian," She sounds annoyed again.

"Ana, you need to help me. Phoebe won't stop crying. I think she's overtired but she won't fall asleep. What do I do?" I'm utterly frantic.

"Well, what did you do for it when she was a baby?" Great. She's going to try and make me figure this out alone.

"I don't fucking know! It's been ages since she was a baby!"

"Watch your mouth, Christian. Stick her in the pram and take her for a walk." She sounds exasperated.

"Isn't she a little old for that? Will she even fit?" She's only just four and small for her age but I don't think she'll fit.

"God, Christian. She'll fit in the jogger; I do it all the time. Now, I need to go. Goodbye, Christian," and with that she hangs up on me.

"Sawyer!" He appears straight away, "I need something that Ana called a jogger, where is it?"

"I'll bring it right out, sir."

A few minutes later Sawyer brings out some three wheeled contraption that I don't remember buying. He helps me strap a still wailing Phoebe into the seat and tells me Ana would usually walk her through the meadow to the sound.

Phoebe perks up and we chat as I push her towards the dock. As soon as we hit the textured wood she starts to quieten and I fully recline her seat. I walk down to _The Grace_ and stand still while I push the stroller back and forth. Once I'm sure she's down for the count I walk back up to the house. I'm actually pretty tired as well so I carry her up to the master bedroom and snuggle up to her so we can nap together. This whole day has made me realise that I have to learn more about my children and maybe work less hours, because I sure as hell am going to need to know how to care for these two alone when the twins come.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

* * *

_Ana POV_

It's been two weeks since the Phoebe incident and things have drastically changed in the Grey household. After spending hours poring over parenting books and constantly asking Gail questions about the children's diets and schedules, Christian finally confided in me about his parenting fears. It was a huge shock to me. I've always thought and told him that he's a wonderful father. Gail, Grace and I have been helping him learn about taking care of the children individually and alone, and have been setting up little trips where he can put his new skills to use. He was supposed to take Phoebe to her little friend's birthday party today, but an unexpected, overseas business trip ruined those plans. He's been gone since late Wednesday night and is due back on Monday morning. It completely sucks that he's missing this weekend with his children but apparently some company in London is more important.

I miss Christian so much, and so does my libido. I always sleep badly when he is away, so I have resorted to sleeping with my babies in bed with me which has ruined any chance of phone or skype sex. I'm kind of okay with it since I would much rather Christian pleasure me than myself. I squirm in my chair and try to bring myself back to the present. I watch my little girl and her friends run around in their fairy costumes, it's seriously adorable. Phoebe probably has the most designer skirt, wings and fairy wand at the party thanks to her daddy.

I'm sitting with the rest of the mothers on the vast decking. Marie, the mother of the birthday girl Lucy, is handing out cocktails but I politely decline due to obvious reasons. I find it odd that they're all getting tipsy on mimosas and daiquiris while our children are playing.

"So, Ana, when are you due?" Another one of the mothers, I think her name is Jenny, asks.

"Technically the beginning of April, but twins usually come a few weeks early, so we're thinking the end of March," I reply with a smile.

"That's so exciting. Are you going to find out what you're having?" Another mother asks.

"I'm planning on it. We'd like to decorate and buy everything based on gender before the craziness of having two newborns to tend to."

We keep chatting about babies, strollers, car seats, and other random mother-y subjects until I hear a familiar voice say "Mommy!" Since Taylor went to London with Christian, we decided to give Gail the same time off to visit her sister. This means I had to drag Teddy along to a party with ten four-year-old girls. Thankfully another one of the mothers, Joanna, brought her newborn son so she and Teddy have been inside for the last hour caring for him.

Teddy walks towards me and crawls into my lap. His face is full of excitement and Joanna sits in the chair next to me with a huge smile on her face.

"Mommy, baby Tommy is the cutest baby ever and we are going to be best friends!" All the other moms turn to look at us, probably jealous of how freaking adorable and sweet my son is.

"Are you really? What did you and baby Tommy do?"

"Well I helped JoJo feed him a bottle and then she let me hold him! And then we sang him songs and I helped push his buggy till he fell asleep!" Teddy is so excited that he's practically bouncing on my lap. His story warms my heart and I know he's going to be such a good big brother to the twins. I bet he wants them to be boys now.

Joanna leans towards me and quietly says "He was a great help. He's such a sweet boy, you should be very proud." I smile.

"Oh, I am," I reply and I hug Teddy a little tighter. "You're such a good boy Teddy, I love you so much," I kiss his curls. My pocket vibrates which probably means an email from my loving husband. Teddy leans against me as I try to free my phone.

* * *

_**From:**__ Christian Grey_

_**Subject:**__ Change of plans_

_**Date:**__ October 13 2018 5:40am_

_**To:**__ Anastasia Grey_

_Ana,_

_I seem to have contracted some sort of infection or flu so I'm coming home early. I'm actually about to board the jet so I'll see you late tonight. I think I need a special nurse to look after me ;)._

_Love you. _

_Christian Grey_

_CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. _

* * *

My brow is furrowed and I must look worried since all the mothers start asking me what's wrong.

"My husband is away on business but just emailed me to say he's sick and coming home early. I'm just worried," Teddy is hanging on my every word. He doesn't like there being anything wrong with the most important man in his life.

"Did he say what he's sick with?" asks one of the mothers who I was told is a doctor.

"Um, he said an infection or flu or something."

"I'm sure he's fine, Ana. He probably just feels crappy and jetlag would be making it worse. Just make sure you don't get sick with you being pregnant and all," she tells me in a stern tone.

"Yeah, I'm going to ask him more about it now…" I say distractedly as I start to type furiously on my BlackBerry.

"Mommy, tell daddy I love him and want him to be better!" Teddy pipes up.

* * *

_**From:**__ Anastasia Grey_

_**Subject:**__ Are…_

_**Date:**__ October 13 2018 1:44pm_

_**To:**__ Christian Grey_

_…you okay? What are your symptoms? Should I call your mom to come over and check you out?_

I'm more than happy to look after you, but I don't want to get sick while pregnant. Do you think you're still contagious? Do I need to get Gail to pick up supplies for you?

Teddy says he hopes you get better soon and that he loves you very much.

Can't wait to see you baby, love you too.

_Ana xx._

_Anastasia Grey_

_Concerned Co-President, Grey Publishing_

* * *

During the time I was writing my email the other moms went to gather the girls so they could sing and cut the birthday cake. Everyone approaches the table and Pheebs stands close to my chair. I'm full of nervous energy as I wait for a reply so I'm bouncing Teddy in my lap; I think he's enjoying it.

* * *

_**From:**__ Christian Grey_

_**Subject:**__ Stop worrying_

_**Date:**__ October 13 2018 5:40am_

_**To:**__ Anastasia Grey_

_Baby, I am fine. As I said I think it's just a bad cold or flu. Symptoms? My head is sore, stuffy and dizzy, runny nose, achy all over and I'm developing a cough. I just want to hold you and sleep. I'll call my mom if I get any worse. We should have everything I need in the medicine cabinet._

_I didn't even think how I could get you sick, I hope I'm not contagious anymore. This has been coming along for a few days now so I doubt I am. I just want to cuddle you, baby. I miss and love you so much. Tell Ted and Phe that I love them too and I'll be home soon._

_Christian Grey_

_Sick and miserable CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc._

* * *

His reply reassures me as it doesn't sound too bad. I bet it's just a bad cold but Christian hasn't been ill in a very long time. He's extremely fit and healthy so this is a little out of the blue. Maybe it's some weird British form of the common cold.

We sing, take photos, watch Lucy open presents and eat some cake. I get my BlackBerry out and take some photos of Phoebe in costume posing like a little model, others with her friends and a few with Teddy. Joanna offers to take a photo of the kids and myself so we can show Christian when he gets home. After a while all the little ones start to show how tired they are and I help pack up so we can leave. Sawyer helps me load Ted and Phoebe into the car and drives us home. Getting a six-year-old into a five point harness is starting to get difficult and I'm too worried to drive.

My children have crashed from their sugar highs and are napping on the couch. I'm torn between only letting them sleep for a short time so they sleep tonight, or to let them have a long nap so they can see their daddy when he gets home. It is Saturday night after all.

I busy myself for the rest of the afternoon, and once the kids are up at four, we make pizzas together for dinner. I didn't email Christian back because there is no point when he's in the air. I just hope he's resting, but that's doubtful. I mean, he's Christian Grey the crazy and overworking CEO. I am going to make him take a break, possibly even suggest a little holiday for us all. We're meant to be going on our huge annual family trip to Aspen for Thanksgiving but that's not for over a month.

After stuffing ourselves with cheese and pepperoni pizzas, Teddy, Phoebe and I decide to have a movie night. The weather is getting colder so I turn up the heating and grab a spare duvet from the linen cupboard. I put on one of my all-time favourite kids movie, The Lion King, grab some bowls of ice-cream and settle in between my children. We end up moving to the master bedroom, don our pyjamas and I put on Beauty and the Beast as per Phoebe's request. My munchkins fall asleep snuggled in my arms, and I can feel their little chests rise and fall with their deep breathing. Their faces are pressed into my shoulders and it makes their lips look all pouty and angelic. Their steady heartbeats against my sides eventually lull me to sleep.

* * *

I hear doors slamming and hushed voices coming from outside that alert me to Christian arriving home. I want to get up and give my husband a proper welcome home but I don't want to wake up the kids. I eventually hear footsteps get closer to the bedroom door and when it creaks open I see two figures. Why would Taylor come to our bedroom? The door opens wider and in the moonlight I see Taylor supporting a very weak looking Christian as he walks him to our bed. Crap. This is worse than I thought. Taylor switches on the bedside light and realises there are already three bodies under the covers.

He sits Christian against the headboard and I see the full effect this disease is having on his body. He is pale and sweating. There are big, black bags under his eyes and a huge cough erupts from his chest. The sound reverberates through the quiet room and I feel Teddy stir against me. Sawyer suddenly enters the room and moves to my side.

"Ana, I think it's best we move Ted and Phoebe to their own bedrooms." Sawyer goes to lift Phoebe while Taylor grabs Teddy, both trying not to wake them. As they start to walk out I turn to Christian. He slowly moves his head to face mine and I can see his eyes are red-rimmed and watery. I know he's been keeping the extent of his sickness from me, and if he didn't look so pathetic I'd be annoyed. I move my hand to his cheek and slowly stroke his face with my thumb.

"Welcome home, baby. I think you're a little sicker than you let on." I move to rub his curls and run my fingers through his hair.

"Hi. I didn't want to worry you," his voice comes out all raspy.

"Sweetie, I'm going to tuck the kids in and I'll be right back, okay?" He nods in response and I kiss his hot forehead before walking out of the room.

I make sure the kids are comfortable and kiss them goodnight. They're so deeply asleep that they probably don't realise what I'm doing, but I don't feel right not telling I love them before bed.

I corner Taylor in the hall and demand to know what the hell is wrong with my husband and why wasn't I told he was so sick.

"I don't exactly understand what happened, Ana. On Thursday he came down with a sore throat and a headache, and by this morning he sounded like he was coughing up a lung. There was no way he could work anymore so I suggested we come home. He slept most of the way home but the pressurised cabin probably didn't help his congestion." Taylor looks apologetic.

"Thank you, Jason. I'll let you get to bed."

"Goodnight, Ana." He turns to walk to the staff quarters as I switch off the hall lights and pull myself together to care for my husband.

* * *

I see that Christian hasn't moved since I left so I walk to his side of the bed and sit next to him.

"How are you feeling, baby?" I rub my hands through his hair again.

"Fucking shitty," he rasps.

"What do you need? Advil? Cough syrup? What can I do?" I'm really worried about him.

"Advil would be good," he gives me a little smile. I walk to the bathroom and grab the drugs and glass of water. I walk back to him and help him swallow the tablets.

"I think you should try and get some sleep," he moves his arms weakly to remove his clothes but it's not working out well for him, "baby, let me help you." I strip him to all but his boxers and tug a t-shirt over his torso. I sneakily feel his forehead and lower him to a sleeping position. I tuck him in and kiss his forehead and cheeks before getting into the bed myself.

"I hope you feel better in the morning, baby."

"I love you, Ana."

"Oh, I love you too, sicky." He gives a little chuckle that turns into a coughing fit. Okay, jokes are a bad idea. Noted.

Christian tries to spoon me but a violent cough makes it very uncomfortable. After a few more minutes of coughing on my back, Christian must realise he is keeping me up. He turns away from me and I try to fall asleep to the sporadic sounds of my husband's illness.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the love! As usual, thoughts are welcomed :) **


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

* * *

_Ana POV_

I wake early in the morning from my husband's loud snoring. He doesn't usually snore so I know it's a consequence of his illness. He looks so pale and clammy so I rest my hand against his forehead. I think he's running a fever but I'll have to use a thermometer to be sure. It took us a while to fall asleep last night so he'll probably sleep for another hour or two. I'm not feeling too tired and I'm grateful I got a couple hours of rest before Christian came home.

Trying not to wake my sleeping beauty, I slowly crawl out of bed. I grab some sweats and a loose top and I tip toe to the bathroom. I'm in desperate need of a shower. I feel dirty from Christian coughing on me and sweating all over the sheets. It probably wasn't my brightest idea to sleep next to him last night, but sometimes I just can't help myself. I need to be near him, my body craves it.

I take a quick shower and dress. I dry my hair as best I can without a hairdryer and sneak back into the bedroom to try and make it to the hall. Christian is still snoring so I know I'm safe. I take a glance at the alarm clock to see it's only seven am. That is way too early for a Sunday morning. I step into the hall and as soon as I shut the door I am met with the sounds of a running Phoebe.

"Mornin, Mama!" I don't understand how she can be this excited so early. I have my work cut out for me today. I go to pick her up and let out an unattractive grunt as I do so. Picking up a four-year-old while pregnant is getting difficult, despite her being small for her age.

"Shh, Phoebe baby. Daddy is home and is asleep," I murmur into her ear, "also a big good morning to you too!" I kiss her cheek.

"DADDY! I wanna see Daddy!" She is near screaming and I try to walk away from our room so she doesn't wake him up. Phoebe is squirming and trying to fight out of my hold.

I peek into Teddy's room to see he's awake and playing with his trains on the carpet. Phoebe must have woken him up with all her yelling. Teddy is not a morning person, just like his mommy. He notices us at the door and runs to hug my legs.

My two angels are sitting at the informal dining table eating their pancakes and fruit when I hear my phone go off. I kept it close so Christian could contact me easily when I wasn't around.

** FROM: Christian Grey  
Where are you? Need help.**

"Teddy bear, can you watch Phe for a few minutes? Daddy needs me," I ask as I run around putting away anything that could cause them harm without supervision.

"Daddy's home?!" Shit.

"Yes buddy, Daddy is home but he's sick in bed. Go sit on the couch and watch some cartoons for me, please?" I'm basically pleading to a six-year-old. Teddy is smart enough to sense my desperation and grabs Phoebe's hand to drag her to the lounge.

"Sure, Mommy."

I follow them and turn on the TV to a kid safe show before power walking up the stairs to our master bedroom. Christian is attempting to get out of bed when I see him.

"Oh no you don't, get back in bed right now, Christian Grey!" He gives a huge sigh.

"At least let me go to the bathroom." I help him up and lead him to the toilet. He refuses to sit so I have to help him stand while he pees. That's one way to kill your sex drive.

Once he's done and cleaned up I walk him back to the bed. I grab a new t-shirt and pair of boxers since his are soaked with sweat.

"Arms up, babe," he complies and I change his top. I push him to lie down and wriggle him out of his boxers to change them as well. His body doesn't react, another sign that he is really sick. I tuck him back in and fluff up his pillows.

"Are you hungry?" He shrugs, "do you think you could stomach some pancakes and fruit?" He nods.

I quickly walk to the kitchen to prepare a tray, but stop to check on the kids first. They're cuddled up together in the corner of our L-shaped couch with Phoebe's blanket over them. Gosh, my kids are cute. They seem engrossed in their cartoons so I get on with my job.

I take Christian his breakfast and help him take some more Advil.

"So, how are you feeling this morning?" I do my usual comforting action of stroking his hair.

"Not much different. I fucking hate this, I'm never sick." I move my hand to his forehead and he's still very hot.

"I think I'm going to call your mom," he starts shaking his head, "no, Christian. You need to be looked at. You have a nasty cough and I don't want to risk ignoring it."

He coughs in response, proving my point.

"Also, the kids know you're home and really want to see you but I don't want to risk them getting sick." This makes him look really sad. He hasn't gone this long without seeing them in a long time.

"Could you bring them to the door? So I can at least see them? I really miss them. I _need _to see them." I give him a reluctant look. "Put masks on them for all I care, I just need them."

"Okay honey, I'll see what I can do. Eat your breakfast please." He gives a small smile as I leave the room.

I pull out my phone and press speed dial three for the Bellevue house.

"Hello, Grace Trevelyan speaking," Grace answers in a happy tone.

"Grace? It's Ana…"

"Oh! Good morning, darling! How are you?"

"I'm fine, Grace. It's Christian that's not. He came home early from his business trip with a nasty illness. Would you be able to come over and check him out?" I sound a little frantic.

"Of course, darling. Carrick and I will be right over! See you soon." She hangs up and I walk to the living area.

"Hey guys? Daddy says he wants to see you." They both start running towards the stairs, but not before I can grab an arm each. "No, hold my hands and we'll walk up together."

As we make our way to the bedroom I give them a little lecture about not going too close to Daddy otherwise they'll get sick too. I'm going to need to use all my strength to hold Phoebe back she's that excited.

I left the door open and we stand a little ways inside so we can all fit. Christian has managed to sit up against the headboard and moved the tray to my side of the bed.

"Dadda!" Phoebe squeals and tries to run to him. I pull her arm back to force her to stand next to me.

"Phoebe Grace, what did I say about not running up to daddy? You don't want to get sick, do you?"

"I DUN CARE!" She is still tugging on my hand but I have her in an iron grip.

"Well I do!" I reply. She pouts.

"Baby girl, be good for Mommy please. I want to hug you too but daddy doesn't want to make you sick," Christian coos at Phoebe. This calms her down some, just like it did in-utero.

"How about you blow Daddy a kiss?" I suggest. She kisses her hand and blows him a kiss which Christian catches and holds against his heart.

"Thank you, angel," he gives us a smile.

Teddy has just been staring at Christian the whole time. Probably a little scared of how pale and sick he looks. I give him a nudge.

"Hi, Daddy," he all but whispers.

"Hey, champ. How are you doing?" Christian's voice isn't as raspy today. He would have scared the children if it had been.

"Okay…what's wrong with you, Daddy?" he asks and gives his sad puppy face.

"Just a bit sick, kiddo. I'll be better soon. I missed you guys and your cuddles."

"I'm your cuggle bug!" Phoebe announces.

"You sure are my cuddle bug, PhePhe, and I'll want lots of cuddles when I'm better," he grins at her.

"I missed you too, Daddy," Teddy murmurs but I don't think Christian hears him properly.

"Okay kiddies, we need to leave to let Daddy rest. Blow him some more kisses," Teddy and Phoebe do so and Christian returns the favour. I drag them out of the room and release them to go play in their own rooms.

I go back in and move the tray my bedside table before sitting next to Christian.

"Your mom will be here soon," I tell him and he just nods.

"Do you think Teddy is okay?" he asks me.

"What do you mean?" I scrunch up my face in confusion.

"Well he was very quiet just now, and I know he's not the craziest of children but he seemed a little off. Especially in comparison to Phoebe…"

"Hmm, I'm not sure. But maybe it has something to do with what you call him? I mean you have millions of nicknames for Phoebe. What do you call her? Princess, angel, angel face, baby girl, cuddle bug, snuggle bug, love bug, cutie pie, lovey and the list goes on. All you call Ted is stuff like Teddy bear, buddy, kiddo and champ. Maybe he wants to also be your cuddle bug?"

"I never really thought he'd want to be called those kinds of names…" he looks lost.

"Well maybe not in public, but maybe when you're at home? He's already fighting for your affection against Phoebe and it'll just get worse when we have two more."

"Yeah…I just never realised. Mom and Dad would call Mia all those names but not Elliot or me. I'll talk to him about it later I guess."

"Maybe you could even start calling him Blip again?" I giggle.

"I think that would probably confuse the hell out of him," he laughs along with me.

* * *

Grace is upstairs examining Christian while I watch Carrick play with the kids on the floor. They're making huge structures out of building blocks, and surprise, surprise that Phoebe is trying to make a castle.

Realising that I'm no longer needed I walk up stairs to talk to Grace and Christian.

"So, what's the verdict?"

"I'm quite sure that it's a case of influenza. His fever has broken which is a good sign but we need to monitor his cough. It could turn into pneumonia so you need to rest and not stress yourself out," she glares at Christian. I bet he's been trying to convince Grace to let him work.

"Will Ana get it? Is it safe that she's looking after me?" Christian asks all worried.

"Um, I gave Ana a flu shot a few weeks ago, didn't she tell you?" Grace and Christian give me questioning looks.

Did she? I don't remember that happening. Baby brain strikes again.

"Uhhh…" I stumble out.

"I gave Ana, Kate and Eden flu shots a few weeks ago after finding out about a nasty strain of the virus going around, which is probably what you've got. Pregnant ladies, babies and those who are breastfeeding are at high risk."

"Oh yeah…I can't believe I don't remember that."

"So it's okay? She won't get sick?"

"Well I don't recommend you kissing her for a few more days but other than that she should be fine."

Christian pouts. I feel the same. I just want to kiss my husband at least. If I feel fine tomorrow I'll kiss him anyway.

"Thank you, Grace."

"No problem, guys. Call me if it gets any worse. Remember to keep up the fluids and rest!" and with that she kisses Christian on the forehead and I go to lead her out.

"I can see the worry in your face, Ana. He will be fine. This flu does knock people around a little though and he might be more tired than usual for a few weeks. Have my grandchildren been anywhere near him?"

"They stood at the door to talk to him, that's all."

"Keep them away from him a little while longer. I don't want my grandbabies getting sick."

Carrick and Grace stay for lunch and help entertain the kids. Christian has been calling me all afternoon and even made us set up a computer near the kids so he could skype them. He fell asleep and started snoring on camera. It was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time so I recorded it to use against him.

I go to walk Grace and Carrick out after they've hugged and kissed their grandchildren goodbye. Apparently some Disney show is more interesting than waving goodbye to their grandparents so Teddy and Phoebe stay in the living room. We hug and kiss and I promise to call with updates on Christian. I walk back into the main room to only see Teddy on the couch.

"Hey Ted bear, where's your sister?" I ask while searching the adjoining rooms.

"I dunno," he shrugs. Well that was useful. I look into every room and I can't find her. As I near my bedroom I can hear a little voice. I walk in to find her snuggled against an unaware and sleeping Christian.

"Dadda…Dadda," she whimpers into his chest as she strokes his face. I can see little tears leaving her eyes.

"Phoebe Grace Grey,' I scold, "what are you doing in here?"

"Cuggle…Dadda." She is still whimpering. I go to pick her up and starts screaming bloody murder and kicking her legs. I know she's going to get this damn flu now, and she'll give it to Teddy. Great.

"Do not kick your legs at me, young lady." I clamp an arm around her legs and she goes limp. She is still screaming and I see Christian wake. He blinks sleepily trying to make sense of the situation. I start to walk out of the room to put her in a time out.

"NO! I WANT DADDY! I HATE YOU, MAMA!" she screams and I still. My children have never told me they hate me before. I know she doesn't mean it but it really hurts. I put her on the bed in the guest bedroom and tell her to stay there for four minutes.

I walk out and collapse against the wall. I slide down and sit on the floor, rocking myself as I break down into tears.

* * *

**A/N: This story has gotten over 30,000 views, thank you all so much! Hope you're enjoying reading it as much as I enjoy writing it :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

* * *

_Ana POV_

Teddy finds me soon after I've broken down. I see his little shoes and look up so our eyes meet. His eyes are going glassy from holding back tears.

"Mommy?" he sounds so worried, "Are you okay, Mommy?" I hold my arms out for him to walk into. "Why are you crying, Mommy?"

"Do you love me, Teddy bear?" I ask in a small voice.

"Yes, Mommy, I love you lots and lots. You're my favourite mommy in the whole wide world." He gives me a squeeze around my neck and I let out a half laugh/half sob.

"I'm your only mommy, little man." He grins and giggles.

"I know, Mommy. You're special and pretty and I love you this much," he stretches his arms as wide as they'll go.

"Thank you, baby boy, I love you too." Ted leans in and gives me a little kiss on the lips.

"Why did you ask me that?" he sits in front of me and leans lightly against my belly. I run my hands through his hair and kiss it.

"I caught your sister lying in bed with Daddy. She had a tantrum when I carried her away and she told me she hates me," I try to hold back more sobbing.

Teddy jumps up and turns to me with a very Christian Grey-like expression of anger.

"I will go sort her out for you, Mommy!" he announces as he runs into her room.

I edge closer to the open door to hear what Teddy has to say.

"Why did you tell Mommy that you hate her?" He sounds so stern. I'm a little proud.

"Cos I do! She won't let me see Daddy!" Phoebe huffs. I can just imagine her with her arms crossed over her puffed out chest.

"No, you don't hate her! She just doesn't want you to be sick. You love Mommy and you know it! She is the best mommy in the world!" I'm crying again but not out of sadness. "You know you made her cry. She was out there crying because you said mean things to her!"

"Go and say sorry and tell her you love her!" Teddy drags Phoebe out by the arm and I can tell she's not stopped crying.

We both just stare at each other before Phoebe takes a few steps forward.

"Mama…" I don't say anything. "I'm sorry, mama. I don't hate you." She walks towards me and sits down in between my legs. She puts her little arms around my middle and rests hear head against my chest. "I really do love you, mama."

I wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head.

"I love you too, princess, always," I whisper in her ear, "I just don't want you getting sick, okay?"

I feel her nod a little.

"Okay kiddies, I think it's time for dinner!"

* * *

We eat mac and cheese and salad for dinner and I wrestle them into the bath. Once they've said goodnight to Christian I put them to bed and read them stories. I'm exhausted. Looking after two children without help and being 15 weeks pregnant is extremely tiring. I'm glad Gail will be back at work tomorrow but I fear she'll need to spend a lot of time taking care of Taylor, who has caught the flu as well.

I take a nice, relaxing bath alone and take some time to ponder my life. It's Halloween in a couple of weeks, so we will all need costumes for trick or treating and for the annual Grey party. We have a scan in three weeks where we can possibly find out the gender of the twins if they're in the right position. After that we can plan a nursery and start buying baby products. I'm 95% sure that Phoebe and Ted will become sick in the next few days, if not tomorrow. I need to call into work and tell them I'm not coming in for a while. Even if I don't get sick I don't want to spread that flu around the office. I'll also need to call the schools and notify them of the children's absences. My relaxing bath has now turned into stress city. I go back to thinking about what Phoebe said to me. I know she's apologised and said she loves me, but the fact she thought it makes me sad. I don't really remember saying that to my mother, but then again I had a demeanour more like Teddy's. Phoebe is Christian Grey through and through. If I wasn't pregnant I probably would have already gotten over this by now. My hormones are making every emotion ten times more intense and before I know it I'm crying again. After I'm all cried out my eyes start to droop, a sure sign that it's time to go to sleep.

I get dressed in my warmest and least sexy pyjamas. As I walk into the bedroom I see Christian sitting up and squinting at his laptop. How did that even get in here? I go to lie down in my side of the bed and turn towards him.

"Do you need glasses, old man?" I tease.

"What do you mean?" he asks without looking at me.

"You're squinting at the screen. Are you having trouble with your eyes?"

"I'm fine," he growls as he shuts the laptop and places it on the bedside table. He lies down and faces me. "Thanks for taking care of me today, baby."

"It was no problem, Mr Grey, but I am exhausted now. Sweet dreams, baby," I lean in to kiss his cheek. As I go to turn around he catches my arm.

"Your eyes are red. Have you been crying?" Worry fills his face.

"Uh, it was nothing…hormones you know?" I wave a hand like it's no big deal.

"No, Ana. Tell me why you were crying."

"Well I'm guessing you heard Phoebe screaming?" he nods, "well she said she hated me…" I'm interrupted by a coughing fit from my husband. I duck to avoid the germs.

"Sorry, please continue," he coughs out.

"Okay…well yeah, she said she hated me and it hit a nerve. She's never said that before. She eventually apologised and said she loves me but it still hurts. The baby hormones are making me cry more, as well," I give a little laugh.

"Do you need me to speak with her?"

"I think Teddy gave her a pretty stern talking to."

"Did he really?" Christian looks very proud, "well you know that we all love you, even these little ones," he rubs my belly.

I give him a soft smile.

"Goodnight baby, I love you," he kisses my nose, "and I love you too," he bends to kiss my belly.

"Love you too, even when you're gross and sick," I giggle as I turn around so he can spoon me and place a hand on my stomach.

"That is the best sound to hear before I sleep." Christian kisses me all over my neck and shoulders until I fall asleep.

* * *

I wake up to someone wailing. I turn my body into Christian's trying to block out the noise even though I know I should get up and see what the problem is.

Christian grunts next to me as he hears the crying and wakes up.

"Jesus, what the hell is that? Is that Phoebe?" He sits up suddenly and tries to get out of bed but is too weak to do so.

"Stop, lie down," I say as I turn to get out of bed, "I'll do it."

I walk to Phoebe's room to see her lying in her own vomit and crying. Even though it's gross, you've got to get used to vomit if you're a mommy. You change from being completely irked out by it to only worrying if your child is okay.

"Oh, baby girl, looks like you're sick too," I say as I press a hand to her forehead.

She gives a weak little nod as she cries. I strip her out of her soiled pyjamas and carry her to the bath. Once she's clean and changed I call for Gail to change her sheets. I carry Pheebs to the master bedroom and see Christian sitting up with the TV on.

"She was sick in bed and has a fever and a sore throat. I'm guessing she caught it off you. Do you mind if she stays in our bed? It'll be much easier for me if you're all in one place," I suggest as I'm walking towards Christian.

"Of course it's fine, come here my angel," he coos as he holds his arms out and I place her into them. He cuddles her in his lap and wraps the blankets around them. "I love you, snuggle bug." He keeps whispering cute things into her ear while I go to check on Teddy.

Ted tells me he feels fine so I help him get ready and eat some breakfast. We go upstairs so he can say goodbye and then Sawyer takes him to school. I call Grace to give her an update on the family illness.

"Morning, Ana. What's the news?"

"Hi, Grace. Well Christian doesn't seem too bad. He's just sniffing and coughing a lot. Phoebe woke up this morning and was sick, she also has a fever. I'm not sure what to do so I put her in bed with Christian."

"I don't see any harm in that; he hopefully is immune to that strain now. Just do the same as you did with Christian, plenty of fluids and rest. Don't give her any pain killers or fever reducing tablets. You need to be able to monitor her temperate as she's under five and could have febrile convulsions if she gets too hot, okay?" I'm going to need to Google that later.

"Okay, thank you, Grace."

"No problem, how are you and Teddy feeling?"

"I feel fine, just a little tired. Teddy went to school but he might get sick soon," I reply with a yawn.

"I should let you go, Ana. Give my love to Christian and Pheebs."

"I will, bye, Grace." She hangs up and I go to collect breakfast for my sickies.

* * *

I spend most of the day walking up and down the stairs responding to my patients every whim. We spend some time napping together until I get a call from the school nurse telling me Teddy is sick and needs to leave. I knew it would happen. I collect him myself and deposit him in the bed with his dad and sister. I'm thankful for our gigantic bed since even with Christian and a child either side of him, there is still enough room for me.

Gail brings us chicken soup and bread and we all settle down with a movie. We've moved the kids so they're in between Christian and I and Phoebe is cuddling into my side. Her blocked nose is causing her to snore a little. I'm considering if I should record it or not. May as well. A gem for her 21st birthday.

The bed jostles and I see Christian move Teddy so he's lying on his chest. I close my eyes and pretend to be asleep so they can have their chat in private.

"Hey, Teddy bear. I'm going to ask you a really important question and I need you to answer truthfully, okay?" I don't hear a response but Ted must have nodded because Christian continues. "Do you get jealous of how I treat Phoebe?"

I think he nods again because Christian asks, "can you explain it to me?"

"Um, you just give Phe more cuddles and kisses and Mommy and Grandma give me cuddles and stuff but you only give them when I'm sad. I like getting cuddle and kisses from you Daddy even if you're a boy like me. Phoebe gets so much atten…attenshun and sometimes I just wanna be your cuddle bug, Daddy." Teddy sniffs. From his flu or from crying, I'm not sure.

"You know I love you equally, right? You both mean so much to me and I don't want you to feel neglected. I love you so much, Teddy bear and I promise to give you more cuddles and kisses from now on." I can actually hear Christian place over exaggerated kisses all over Teddy.

"You know what, Teddy? I'll give you your own special name. Since you're already my Teddy bear, you can also be my huggy bear!" A tickle fight starts and I hear Teddy giggle like mad. "Okay, shh, shh. Your mom and sister are sleeping, let's give them goodnight kisses and go to sleep."

They kiss Phoebe first and then I feel Teddy's little lips on my cheek. "Goodnight, Mommy," he then kisses my belly, "Goodnight, babies." I'm trying to hold back tears at how sweet this is. Pheebs and the twins could not ask for a better big brother.

Christian kisses my belly then moves to my face. He gives me a lingering kiss on my lips, and I open one eye. He smirks and kisses me again.

He relaxes back into the bed with Teddy before switching off the light.

"Goodnight, my lovelies," is all I hear before I drift off.

* * *

After a couple of days Christian recovers enough to start helping out with the kids. The flu has hit them hard and I don't think they'll be returning to school until next week at the earliest. The whole family has a little bit of hate for us right now. Carrick caught the bug, and then it was spread around to each family member. The downfall of having a super close family is that everyone will get the same disease. Our biggest worry was little Eden, but she pulled through like a champion, a true copy of Kate Kavanagh.

Each night I fall into bed and sleep like a log. Even with all the help from Christian, Gail, Taylor and Sawyer, I feel that I'm the walking dead.

We have finally gotten the children to sleep in their own beds and I think Christian wants us to have some fun. We haven't had sex for a week and I can tell we're both extremely frustrated. Christian has been adjusting himself all day to hide his hard on.

As tired as I am, while I watch Christian change into his pyjamas, I feel myself getting hot and bothered. I beckon him towards me and he sits on my legs. I lean in and kiss him passionately. He grabs my head and forces his tongue into my mouth. He shimmies up my legs until his erection is pressed against my core. He starts to grind into me and I moan into his mouth. I lean my head back and he kisses down my neck.

"Arms up," he mumbles into my mouth. I move my arms and he takes off my t-shirt. I'm left just in my panties and him in his boxers. He gently caresses my breasts and plays with my nipples.

"Ugh, Christian, please," I moan.

"What would you like, my darling?" he says as he brings my left breast to his mouth.

"I need you inside me, please. It's been so long."

"Are you ready for me?" he asks as he snakes a hand into my panties, "Oh, it seems you are very ready Mrs Grey."

He pulls down his boxers and his erection springs free. At the same time he rips off my panties. Another pair ruined.

"I love you, Anastasia. You're the best wife a man could ask for."

He enters me suddenly and my back arches. He slowly thrusts and I know I'm not going to last very long.

"Holy fuck, Ana, you're so tight. Jesus," he grunts at me. He starts kissing me all over, worshipping my body.

"It's…oh… it's been a week. Oh god, Christian."

"Never…going…that…long…again. Shit, Ana, I'm not going to last long." He starts going harder until his chest hits my belly. "Crap, sorry, babe. Maybe we should move positions." He gently moves us so I'm straddling him. "Ride me, baby," Christian says as he grabs my hips. I start to move, alternating between moving up and down and grinding my hips in a circle. I rub my hands all over his chest and stomach. Christian starts to meet my thrusts and I can feel the pulling in my belly.

"Don't hold back, baby, come for me," he groans and I instantly orgasm. I spur him on and he stills under me. I keep moving and milk his orgasm for all it's worth.

Christian moves me to lie next to him and brushes my sweaty hair from my face.

"That was un-fucking-believable, Mrs Grey."

"I'd have to agree, Mr Grey," I giggle then yawn.

"Are you a little tired?"

"More than a little, I'm completely exhausted." Christian pulls me towards him and I rest my head on his chest.

"Sleep now, baby. We'll go for round two in the morning," he promises with a grin.

* * *

**A/N: Okay so insane amount of love goes out to you all who continue to read and review my story! You've got to be some of the best and nicest people in the world. I feel like I should clarify some stuff to help a few of you out.**

**Christian was quite sick in my story and I guess was suffering a bit of man-flu. The kind when they get really needy. Also, he doesn't get sick often so didn't really know what to do and really relied on Ana to help him.**

**Teddy is written as a really sensitive six-year-old who developed his mother's personality. We know Ana was always nice to everyone and a little naïve, and Teddy is the same. He sees the best in people and loves everyone, so that's why he reacts so emotionally. I have someone in my life that is similar that I'm basing him on a little. Phoebe is demanding but sweet and craves attention. I hope that clears some stuff up.**

**Ana is being written like she wants to be the perfect mother. She wants to try and do it without too much help hence not calling Gail to help on the weekend. I think also not having her own mother around to help is a huge struggle for her as she can't get advice and help readily. She has Grace but sometimes there's nothing like the help from your own momma! **

**Feel free to ask anything else to be explained :) thanks again!**

**I also just realised I write in UK English but have a ton of US readers. Should I change my writing to be more like the book and use the US versions of words like pajamas instead of pyjamas and stuff like that? I already make sure I write Mommy instead of Mummy. Let me know and sorry for this ridiculously long authors note. Won't happen again!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

* * *

_Ana POV_

I am taking Phoebe over to Elliot and Kate's place for some apparent much needed girl time. We decided there's really not much harm being around each other as we've all fought off the same bug. Ava and Phoebe attend the same school, but due to illness, both haven't been there all week. This has caused what we like to call "cousin withdrawal" in both the girls. I have never heard so much whining about not being able to play with Ava. We often have family time on the weekend so this time we decided to split ourselves by gender. It gives us a good chance to talk candidly about our other halves without their input or distraction. We also like to do a little bit of complaining about them as well. Another bonus of this arrangement is that Teddy will get some much needed 'man time' with his father, grandfathers and uncles. For one of the first times since Phoebe was born, he will be the centre of attention.

I nearly choke on my tea when Phoebe yells "Mommy, I'm ready!" I didn't even hear her walk down the stairs. She is wearing her pink leggings with a netted fairy skirt over the top. It's paired with a long sleeved top that is branded with "Daddy's Girl" in huge sparkly letters. Christian dressed her today. I notice she's holding one of her little backpacks.

"Have you got everything you need?" I ask as I put down my tea and check my own bag.

"Yep, Mama! I got my blankie and my special makeups," she starts digging through her bag, "and Lamby!" She thrusts him into the air.

"Okay, baby. We'll get going soon. Can you go get your dad for me?" Phoebe doesn't respond, but runs full tilt up the stairs instead. I'm glad Christian fitted out the house with carpet; the risk of them falling has been drastically reduced. We didn't want a repeat episode of when Teddy slipped in his first few weeks of walking. That aged his father at least five years.

An exasperated "I'm coming, I'm coming," floats down the hall in the voice of my husband. As they come into view I see she's dragging her brother and father down the hall by their arms. They are dressed in their fishing attire and Christian is carrying some gumboots and hats.

"Are we all ready to go?" Christian asks as he crouches down to help Teddy into his boots.

"I think so. Do you have sunscreen for Teddy? It's not sunny but he still might burn…"

"Of course, Ana. I know that he has skin like yours," he stands and winks at me.

"Alright, alright," I walk over to him and give him a quick kiss, "have a good time and we'll see you later." I kiss him again but with a little more passion.

"You too, baby," he bends down to Phoebe's level, "and you, princess." At the same time I give Teddy a hug and kiss goodbye and fix his unruly curls.

We walk outside and give each other another kiss goodbye before getting into our respective vehicles. I see Taylor loading fishing rods and tackle boxes into the trunk as we pull away and Teddy gives us a wave as we progress down the driveway.

I'm sitting up front with Sawyer while Phoebe is kicking her feet around in her car seat in the back. We're going to need a whole fleet of new cars if we want to fit four car seats into one vehicle. That's going to be a squeeze. The drive to Kate's isn't far and I'm thankful because without her brother, Pheebs gets very bored and antsy in the car.

We make it without any large dramas and as soon as she's set free, Phoebe runs to the door and knocks with all her strength. Kate opens the door and picks her up for a huge hug, "there's my favourite niece!" Phoebe giggles and fights to be put down. She runs in the direction of their living room, obviously on a mission to find her cousins. I hug Kate and she sticks to my side as she leads me into the house.

"How are you doing, Steele?" She asks as she studies my face.

"I'm fine, Kate, just a little tired."

"Don't take offence, but you look it. That flu screwed us all. I must remember to thank Mr Control Freak for that," she teases.

"Har Har, Kate. How is Eden doing?" I ask as we walk into room where everyone has congregated.

"She's doing alright. I'm just annoyed that stupid flu shot didn't work. Her little cough is hard to hear but Grace says she'll be better in a few days."

I go to greet Grace and Mia and we all start prepping facials and mani pedis. We start on the girls first before helping each other. Eden keeps trying to eat her avocado face mask while Ava and Phoebe play with her. All the adults are drinking mocktails that Kate has prepared as we soak our feet in foot baths. Girl talk is so relaxing and I realise I need to indulge in this more often.

"Really though, Ana, I need to thank Christian for suggesting the fishing trip. Elliot has been overworking himself this week with some huge deal. And he really needed to get out of the house and have some man time. I think living with three girls is overwhelming for him…" Kate trails off.

"Kate, you know he loves his girls and spoiling you guys, but I will pass on your thanks. Teddy has been feeling a bit jealous lately so I'm hoping all the attention will make him feel better."

"Well you know Elliot will be lapping up every minute of being with him. I feel bad that I haven't been able to give him a boy, but I just don't think I can handle another baby right now."

"That's well within reason, darling girl. You only had Eden six months ago and you're still so young. Plenty of time to create some Grey men," Grace interjects.

"I guess so…" Kate goes to stare at her blonde clones.

"At least you guys have had babies! I'm the only one who is completely childless!" Mia huffs.

"Mia," Grace lightly scolds as she touches her arm. Mia jerks her arm away and crosses them over her chest like a petulant child.

"Mia, you're basically a newlywed. Enjoy your time with Ethan now as it will never be like this again. See the world together before being bombarded with vomit, dirty diapers and sleepless nights," I give my advice. It's true though. Christian and I barely travelled before Teddy came, and sure, we've been to places with the kids, but diaper bags, prams, and fussy children make the experience a lot more difficult.

"She's right, Mia. We both didn't wait long before having our babies and it turned out to be very intense and stressful on a new marriage. Babies don't need to come straight away, and if you need your fix I will gladly let you take Eden and Ava for a night," she smiles wryly.

"I guess you guys are right…" Mia muses.

We eat a light lunch and I help put Eden down to nap. Mia has gone to run outside with the girls while Grace takes a nap. She's been looking after a sick Carrick all week and I think he must come down with the same needy tendencies as his son. Kate and I sit down together for a cup of tea and revert back into our Steele and Kavanagh chatty ways. Our topics of discussion have changed over the years but our enthusiasm certainly hasn't.

"So, how far along are you now, Ana?" Kate asks.

"I'm coming up to my 16th week. Getting real fat," I say as I rub my belly. Kate scoffs.

"Fat? Girl, you don't ever gain any weight away from your belly. You have insanely good pregnancy genes."

"Maybe with the first two, but these twins are giving me a run for my money. My ass and boobs are already the size they were when I was full term with Phoebe. I just can't wait for them to get bigger," I say sarcastically.

"Yeah? Well I bet Christian loves it."

"You got that right," we both laugh.

"Are you going to find out what you're having?" she seems genuinely interested.

"Yes, we have the gender scan in two weeks. We want everything bought and ready for when they come."

"And, what about names?"

"Well, I've been thinking about it a bit. We named the other two before they were born, so why not these as well? I think Christian has already picked out his favourite girl names, actually," I muse.

"Really?! Tell me!" Kate demands.

"Well, they were names he was thinking about for Phoebe. Charlotte and Madeleine."

"Oooh, classy and traditional. We sure do have different tastes in names," she laughs and I agree. There certainly is a difference between Ava and Eden and Theodore and Phoebe. "Well, I like them," she states, "what about boys?"

"We haven't really talked about it yet."

"What's the male form of Katherine? Call one of them that."

"Oh, sure thing," I roll my eyes.

* * *

_Christian POV_

"Daddy!" Teddy yells, "look what I got!" He holds up a small fish.

"Good work, little man!" I praise, "Keep going and you might get another!"

I'm sitting on a bench of _The Grace_ with my dad and Ray. Ethan and Elliot are fishing over the edge of the boat with Teddy and he is lapping up the attention. As much as I trust them, I can't help but constantly check on my son. I've decked him out in a life jacket, hat and slathered him with sunscreen, but I still worry. I don't feel like my children are ever truly safe unless they're in my arms. I've sat myself so I have a direct view of his fishing without looking like I'm intervening. Dad even convinced me to have a beer with lunch. I expected Teddy to tire and he and I would have some downtime together, but he is very overexcited about spending the day with his uncles. Elliot and Ethan only spur on his behaviour as they don't have sons of their own. I've been chatting with dad and Ray about business and sports for the past half hour but I know they want to get a little deeper.

"So, son, how's life at home?" My dad asks, I can tell he's still a little sick by the tone of his voice.

"It's fine…good. We're just getting over this sickness thing," I take a drag of my beer and do a quick Teddy check.

"How are Ana and the babies doing?"

"Yeah, how are you treating my Annie?" Ray probes.

"She puts up an act, but I think she is getting really tired. At one point she was caring for all three of us. I hope this girl's day does her a world of good."

"It better, bro! Kate's been talking about it and preparing shit for it all week!" Elliot yells.

"Elliot! Language around Ted!" Dad scolds.

"Whoops, sorry, little buddy," Elliot pats Teddy's head. I just glare at him. I wonder if he swears like that around his daughters. I know Ana has my ass if I ever cuss in front of Teddy or Phe.

We start ribbing into each other about our lives, and I realise this is what life would have been like if I was normal and had made friends in school and college. I'm grateful for my large family and the fact we all get along. Well, we all get along now. At first I hated the idea of another Kavanagh in the family, and one that would be fucking my sister. But after Ethan proved himself to be nothing like Kate, I got over it. We're all happily married which is a sight my parents probably thought would never happen. I am broken from my reverie by Elliot dropping Teddy into my lap. It seems like my boy has crashed. All this excitement and exercise has worn him out. I adjust him so he can lie against my chest and Ethan passes him a bottle of juice. I can already tell he will be a great dad. Ethan and Elliot join us on the bench and grab a few beers themselves.

"So, bro, man to man. If you have boys, are you gonna name one of them Elliot?" he asks with a beaming smile. He has asked this every time Ana has been pregnant.

"And the other can be called Ethan. Ethan and Elliot sound pretty good together if you ask me!" Ethan pipes up.

"Sure do!" Elliot agrees and they fist bump.

"I don't think so, brothers. But actually, Dad, if we do have boys Ana wants to name one after you," I turn to my dad to gauge his reaction.

"Please do not put a child through the torture of being named Carrick," Dad pleads and we all laugh.

"No, Dad. It would be a middle name. Like Teddy's middle name is after Ray. It's only fair we name one after you," I bargain.

"I'd be honoured, Christian, really, but what about the other one?"

"Ana said she'd name him after me..." I say hesitantly.

"That would make perfect sense, each son named after a grandfather or father."

"Yeah…" I'm not sure I want my child having the burden of the Christian Grey name. I want my children to have new names or ones that already belong to good and respectful people. Not after their fucked up father who has a history of BDSM and violence.

"And if they're girls, I bet Ana will rally to name them after Kate and Mia!" Elliot interrupts.

"Don't give her any ideas," I threaten.

"Hey! That's my wife and sister you're talking about!" Ethan yells. This only starts a debate between Ethan and Elliot over whose wife more deserves the honour of a baby's name.

I put down my beer and stand with Teddy in my arms. I love being with family but I seem to tire of their antics after a while. I quietly excuse myself and carry Ted to the master bedroom. I lay him down next to me and stroke his curls as he relaxes.

"Have you had a good day, buddy?" I ask softly.

"Yeah, Daddy," a yawn escapes his mouth, "I love being with you and all the boys."

"We love being with you too, Teddy."

"I miss Mommy though," His eyes are closed and I know he's about to fall asleep.

"Me too, but we'll be seeing her soon," I assure him.

"Good. Love you dad," he says before succumbing to sleep.

"Love you too, bear." I reply before closing my eyes myself.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all for the overwhelming response to my last chapter! I'll be sticking to how I write now as I'm more comfortable with it. I think you all know the main theme for this chapter was…babies. I never realised how hard it was to name people. Don't hate me for name choices in later chapters and any constructive ideas are welcome as I'm struggling quite a bit with it.**

**Bel xx. **


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

* * *

_Ana POV_

Four days till Saturday. Four days until Mia's huge Halloween party. Four days to find Christian Grey approved costumes. I completely forgot about it until Mia called me yesterday. I rushed through my work yesterday and this morning so I could spend time searching for a costume theme that the whole family can participate in. I'm seated at my desk, saving photos of my choices when I feel a fluttering in my stomach. I freeze. After I gather my wits a little I scoot back from my desk and place a hand to my belly. I feel it again. A huge smile breaks across my face. I finally get to feel my babies.

I've been wondering when this would happen. With Teddy, I didn't feel him till my 20th week and I felt Phoebe at 19. I've been told the more pregnancies you have, the earlier you feel it, and that definitely would be true for me. I know it's only flutters, but at 16 weeks, I'm freaking ecstatic. It makes it feel more real, like these little people inside of me are alive and moving. It also gives me reassurance that everything is okay. I should let Christian know.

* * *

**From:** Anastasia Grey

**Subject:** !

**Date:** October 23 2018 10:56am

_**To: **_Christian Grey

_**Attached: **_5 photos

I thought I should quickly let you know that I just felt the twinnies move! Just some little fluttering but exciting nonetheless. I've also attached some photos of potential Halloween party costumes. Let me know what you think.

Hope you're having a good day.

Ana xx.

Anastasia Grey

Co-President, Grey Publishing.

* * *

I'm hesitant to get a reply. Not because of the movement, but because I sent some pretty outrageous costume suggestions to Christian. I hope he understands that they're a joke. I had a good time picking out those pictures knowing it will cause a reaction. I hope it's bad enough for us to engage in some kinky fuckery. We haven't indulged ourselves in it since I fell pregnant and Christian refuses to play. Maybe I can get him angry enough to break.

* * *

**From:** Christian Grey

**Subject:** Twins

**Date:** October 23 2018 11:03am

**To:** Anastasia Grey

My Ana,

I'm coming over right away with an early lunch. I know I won't be able to feel them move but I want to be with you.

C x.

P.S. You've got another thing coming if you think I'm going to dress up as a Crayon or someone from Toy Story for Halloween. I think our best bet is the royal family. We're practically royalty anyway ;)

Christian Grey

Excited CEO and soon to be father of four, Greys Enterprises Holdings.

* * *

His send-off makes me all mushy inside. Actually, whenever he talks about being a father it makes me all mushy inside. I won't even blame it on the hormones.

I close all the tabs on my browser that hold pictures of families dressed in ridiculous costumes and call my trusty costume store to book a time to visit. We'll all go today after school. I know that Teddy wants to dress up as Captain America for trick or treating so we can get that out of the way too. I guess Phoebe will be her usual fairy princess.

I sit back with a new manuscript and wait for my husband's arrival. Unsurprisingly, he turns up after only a few minutes. I can hear him joyfully greeting Hannah, the news of the babies moving has put him in a great mood.

He swings open the door with a massive grin on his face.

"Hey, baby!" He nearly yells. Wow.

"Hello there, is someone a little excited?" I reply wryly.

"Why wouldn't I be? Today is a great day!" I laugh.

"Yes, Christian. It has turned out to be quite good," I walk over to him and lightly kiss him, "now, where's my lunch?" I demand. I'm actually really hungry. He laughs at me.

I step back and he produces a brown paper bag. "Tuna salad sub, just how you like it!" I grab his hand and lead him to the small couch against the wall in my office.

"Thanks, honey," I say with my mouth full. Christian laughs at me before starting to eat as well.

Christian finishes before me and moves me to lay us on the couch. My back to his chest and he places his hands on my belly.

"You know, you probably won't feel anything for another few weeks," I tell him.

He sighs. "I know, but I was just checking," I can feel his smile against the back of my head. We stay like this for a while once I've finished my sub. I am so relaxed and do not want to go back to work.

"Okay, up. I have something to talk to you about," Christian says as he moves us to sit beside one another. He delves back into the bag and hands me a book. I turn it around to see the title, _The Big Book of Baby Names 2017-18_. "I was talking to the guys on Saturday and Elliot brought up names, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it," he admits.

Weird. Me either. Sometimes Christian and I are freakishly on the same mind track.

"Sure, we can search around for more. Can we just put like, four options down for each gender? I don't want anything set in stone until after the scan, or maybe until they're born."

"But then I can get their hospital outfit monogrammed with their names," Christian pouts.

"Okay, okay. How about we get one of those 3D scans and we can see what names we think will fit them?" I suggest.

"Sounds great," he is back to his previous grinning.

I grab a pad of paper and a pen to hand to Christian. He splits the page into two halves and titles them 'boys names' and 'girls names' in his perfect handwriting. He then writes Charlotte and Madeleine in the girls section.

"So, those are my personal suggestions. Do you have any others in mind?"

I start flipping through the book to find names that I like and that will fit with Grey. Well, nearly every name can fit with Grey, but I want to them to fit with their sibling's names too.

"Um, I like Georgina?" I ask timidly.

"Nice one. On the list it goes," he marks it down, "any others?"

"I also like Gabrielle. But I wouldn't put those two together."

"Mmm, yeah I'm not all for the twins having the same initials." He writes it down anyway.

I don't know how to broach the next subject. It's one that he will get angry about whenever I bring it up.

"So…middle names…have you thought any more about using Ella?" I ask softly.

"Ana," he growls.

"We don't need to use it exactly how it is," I turn to the 'El' section of the book, "what about Ellen? Or Eloise?"

"I'll think about it," he huffs to end the conversation. "If we have boys, and you want to name one after me, I think it's only customary to name a girl after you."

"I think those names are too long to fit with Anastasia, Christian."

"Ana with one n?" I shake my head, "Anna with two n's?" I shake my head again, "Er, Anabelle? Beautiful Ana. Perfect." He smiles.

"Put it down if you must," he grins with victory. "Okay, boys. I really like Lachlan," I state.

"Lachlan. Lachlan Grey. I really like that too. Where does that come from?"

"It's Irish and Gaelic," I answer as he writes it down. "What names do you like?"

"Oliver…and Zachary," he responds.

"Hmm I think I like Oliver more than Zachary but put them both down anyway," he smiles, knowing I like his suggestions. "Also, put down Henry."

"Henry? That sounds very…noble," Christian ponders.

I laugh. "Well, you'd hope so. He was a king," I remind him, "the noble Henry Grey," I say in my best attempt at a British accent.

We are both silent for a second before both bursting out into laughter. Christian is basically wheezing by the time we are done and I have tears in my eyes.

"Please don't ever try to do that again, baby," Christian manages to get out.

* * *

I have Phoebe sitting at my vanity while I attempt to pin back her curls. We have separated from the boys to get ready for the Halloween party and I want Phoebe and me to look the part. We are dressed as a traditional royal family. I have a deep red Shakespearean style dress on, and Phoebe's is a miniature version but in blue. They are both full length, long sleeved and intricately detailed around the bodice. Christian is wearing a long dark red cloak that is linked by some heavy gold chains over some dark clothing, accessorised by an extravagant gold crown. Teddy will be wearing an old style, dark green leather jacket with large gold buttons and a matching cap. I finally finish a squirming Phoebe's hair and we go downstairs to leave.

Walking up to Grace and Carrick's house, we are met by tons of fake spiders and their webs, jack-o-lanterns, skeletons and zombies. The party is outside but, as family, we get rights to the house. Grace opens the door to reveal herself dressed as a nun, and Carrick is not far behind in a priest's costume. We are early and the party isn't in full swing yet so we go to relax in the living room. Well relax for me; these babies are kicking my butt. I actually get scared when Mia and Ethan pop out in their zombie bride and groom costumes. Phoebe screamed when Mia tried to hug her and it took Ethan ages to convince her it was him and her Aunty Mimmy.

I burst out laughing when Elliot, Kate and their kids showed up dressed like The Flintstones. Fred, Wilma and Pebbles with the addition of Eden dressed as a little Dino. I'm so glad they chose that for her instead of Bam-Bam. She hasn't much hair, and what she does have is blonde and fine, so they probably could have gotten away with it and embarrassed her with it in her later years.

Grace and Carrick leave us as more guests start to arrive and we all decide to make our way down to the heated marquee. I see that our security team is stationed inside and out, with extras to keep an eye on the children. Crazy control freak. The tent is filled with people from Grace's charity, family friends and colleagues of us all. Since we had Teddy and Mia took over the reins, this party has turned family friendly. There are loads of kids around so we don't need to worry about Teddy and Phoebe becoming bored. Ethan points out the kids candy bar, and all three join hands and run in that direction. I'll let him deal with their sugar highs then.

Christian and I walk around and mingle. The main topics of conversation being the holidays and my pregnancy. I'm relieved that others can't feel the baby right now since it brings up the awkward situation of people wanting to touch my belly. It creeps me out when anyone other than my family and doctor do it. Even though I think I'm showing larger than my dates, when people find out I'm only 16 weeks they back off.

We walk to the bar to get me a drink as the waiters are only passing out alcohol. Christian has already had three glasses of Champagne and no food and it's beginning to worry me. He never drinks this much. Dinner is hors d'oeuvres and a buffet so I lead him there and fill some plates with food. We eat together while he glares at me so I leave him to find my kids. What's his problem? I see Ethan has all the children sitting down and eating, I thank him with a smile and search for Kate. I pass a sullen looking Elliot, who is nursing what looks like straight scotch as I walk through the tent.

"Hey, Carrick. Do you know where I can find Kate?" I ask my father-in-law.

"She went up to the house to feed Eden," he looks at his watch, "about five minutes ago."

I yell "thanks!" to him as I power walk to the house. I find Kate in the kitchen nursing Eden while eating some fries. She's staring into her daughter's eyes looking a little sad. I sit next to her and lightly bump her shoulder.

"Hey. What's up?" I ask quietly. She gives a little shrug. "You can tell me, you know."

"Elliot's being weird," she replies, still staring at Eden.

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since that fishing day, he has been going on and on about Teddy. You know I love him with all my heart, but I've had to listen to him talk for a week about everything Ted does and says and how much he loves having guy time. He hardly plays with the girls anymore and brought home so much Mariners merchandise for Ava to wear. She played some catch with him but then he just complained about how much cooler it would to do it with Teddy, or another boy."

"What?! Do you want me to go speak with him? That's completely out of line."

"No it's fine," Kate sighs and finishes with Eden, sits her up and starts rubbing her back, "I think it's just a phase."

"Now I'll feel bad if these two are boys…" I mumble rubbing my belly.

"Seriously, Steele? We don't pick what we have. We'll both be happy and love whatever they turn out to be. Elliot's just being an ass right now," she hands me Eden and stands up, "now, I think it's time to go back to the party."

We leisurely walk down to the tent and realise a band has started playing. Elliot and Ava are slow dancing next to Christian and Phoebe. They're both in their father's arms, holding one hand and being swung around to the beat of the music. Every so often they look at each other and giggle. Carrick rushes up to us and takes Eden from me and holding her the same way, he dances over to his sons. Everyone dances around kissing her little forehead and she starts giggling as well. Teddy is dancing with Grace while Ethan and Mia dance together.

"Come on," Kate says as she grabs my hand and drags me to the dance floor. The music has picked up a little so we start dancing around and twirling each other. We are laughing so loud people are staring. Teddy tugs at my leg asking to join so we grab a hand each and twirl him too. Soon everyone has joined in and you would think by our faces that we were all problem free.

Christian walks up to me, gives me a lingering kiss and grabs my butt. I can smell and taste the alcohol on him. I'm appalled that he would carry our daughter and dance with her like that after he's had that much to drink. I grab his arms and push them away from me. He gives me an angry look before storming off towards the bar.

I turn to see Elliot swinging Teddy around. They are laughing and Elliot exclaims that Ted is the "best kid to play with". Kate is looking between him and Eden and a tear slips down her face. Elliot sees her and puts Teddy down, rolls his eyes and walks over to Christian. I can see him ordering shots and I know this is going to be a long night.

Grace puts an arm around Kate and leads her to a table. Mia and I join them as Ethan takes Eden and goes to entertain the little ones. Kate throws off her red wig and starts to sob in Grace's arms. Mia and I are rubbing her back and hair trying to comfort her, but we all know sometimes you just need to cry it out.

Suddenly Kate starts to try and form words around her sobs, "it's just…so much…worse," sob "since we thought…Eden…was…a boy!" Hiccup, "they told…us…she…was…a…boy! And Elliot was…so excited…but they got it wrong! Now it's like he…regrets having her!" She breaks down again and buries her head in Grace's neck. This is news to me. I didn't even know they found out the sex of their babies before they were born. They always told us they wanted it to be a surprise. I can feel eyes on us and I turn to see Christian and Elliot staring. I glare at them and they turn back around.

"Darling girl, maybe we should get you inside to rest," Grace suggests and Kate nods slightly.

"Baby. I want my baby." She states.

"Yo, Eth! Baby! Here! Now!" Mia yells.

Ethan runs over and hands over Eden. He wraps Kate in a hug and whispers something in her ear. He kisses his sister and niece on their heads before turning back to tend to the children.

"Wait, Ethan. Bring the kids over here. It's already way past their bedtimes," I tell him.

"Sure thing!" He runs over to them and brings them to us. Ava sees her mom crying and her eyes go all glassy.

"What's wrong, Mommy?"

"Nothing, baby. Mommy's fine," she answers and strokes Ava's hair, pulling her close to her side, "ready for bed, my darling?" Ava merely nods.

I take Phoebe's hand and go to grab Teddy's when he dodges out of my reach.

"I don't wanna go to bed!" He yells.

"Theodore, this is not up for discussion. Bed. Now." I tell him sternly.

"No! I'm not tired! I bet Dad will let me stay up!" He runs off this father. I see him stomp his little foot as Christian tells him no. He crosses his arms, lowers his head and walks straight past us to the house. We change them into their pyjamas and tuck them all into the same bed. Kate and I sit on the bed in Elliot's old room and she rocks Eden to sleep. We are silent for a while before Kate speaks up.

"You know, Christian called Elliot a couple of days ago."

"Really? What about?"

"Guy stuff, I guess. Elliot mentioned that Christian is really scared about these twins you're having." This doesn't completely shock me but I thought he would have come to me about his issues. "He said after you felt them move and picked out names, it sunk in that this was real. Like, it took him a while but now he's scared of having two newborns and how he'll handle taking care of them," she yawns as she finishes.

I sigh. "Thanks for letting me know, Kate. I'll let you sleep, you seem exhausted." I walk to the door and turn off the light.

"Night, Steele."

"Night, Kavanagh."

* * *

The party for the young people has kicked in. In saying that, most of these people are around my age, but I bet they aren't a mother of two and pregnant with twins. Grace and Carrick are helping the waiters pack up some of the food, actively ignoring their daughter grind up against her husband. The music is loud and the beat allows that kind of dancing. Most of people on the dance floor are dirty dancing. I smirk and go on the search for my husband.

As expected, he's still at the bar with Elliot. I can see him slouched in his seat holding a glass of amber liquid. His cloak is half falling off and his crown is on the ground. I walk up to him and stand with my hands on my hips.

"Oh, look, it's the ol' baaaaall n' chaaain," Elliot slurs. Ass.

"Ana! Oh, my Annnnnna! Have you come to collect me for sex?" Christian bursts out laughing.

"No, and if you keep behaving this way you won't get any for a while!"

"Ooooooo!" They say in unison.

"Christian, you're really drunk. I think it's time to go to bed." I move to help him stand and he doesn't fight me. He probably still thinks he's getting laid tonight. Wrong.

"Where's my sexy Kateeeeeey?" Elliot slams down his drink and stands as well, thrusting his stupid oversized bone into the air.

"She put your _daughters_ to bed and she's sleeping too. I suggest you don't go to your room, she's in bed with Eden and in your state you'll probably crush the poor baby," I rant at him.

Carrick rushes to us and grabs Elliot who has begun to sway.

"Don't worry, Ana. I'll put him in one of the guest rooms," Carrick tells me before helping Elliot walk to the house.

"Sooooo, Annie wannie, where are my kiddlywinks?" Christian asks as we walk along the grass.

"Don't call me that. They're in bed too. They went to sleep without their father telling them goodnight," I scold.

"Oooopsies, sorry." He doesn't sound sorry at all. I drag his drunken ass up the stairs and into his room. I strip him down to his underwear before I attend to myself. His head is lolling around on the pillow and he is mumbling incoherently.

I go to the laundry to grab a bucket and place it by his side.

"Even though you're drunk as shit, I still love you." I kiss his lips softly and he hardly reacts.

As soon as the lights are off I hear his stomach start to make weird noises. Along with his groans I know what's about to happen. I rush to his side and hold the bucket as he turns over. He starts violently emptying his stomach. Jesus, Christian, how much did you drink?!

In a small break between heaves I move us to the toilet. He slumps over it and vomits until his body gives up. He falls to the floor and lies in the foetal position as he starts to cry and repeat, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

* * *

**A/N: No rest for the wicked in the Grey family! Thanks for all the love yet again! Keeping me very motivated! Feel free to vote on the names you like that are mentioned in this chapter, nothing is set in stone just yet and you could influence how the story goes ;) Much love, Bel.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

* * *

_Christian POV_

Oh my god. Oh my fucking god. I think my head may be splitting in half. Holy shit. I'm going to be sick again. I turn and dry heave over the side of my bed. Shit, that hurts. How many times did I vomit last night? Better question, how much did I fucking drink last night?!

I turn back around and place one arm over my eyes. It's too fucking bright in this room. My other arm searches the sheets next to me. Empty. Where's Ana? I bet she's pissed at me. Crap. I'm such a tool sometimes. Before I know it the door opens and three children start screaming "Morning, Daddy! Hello, Uncle Cwistian!" Jesus fuck, they're loud. I know Ana has set this up for punishment. They're jumping the bed and the rocking mattress is unsettling my stomach. I lean away from the kids and start retching again. My stomach is empty and I'm gasping for air so I can cough something out. The room is silent and still. I've clearly scared the crap out of three children. I lie back on the pillows and see Ava and Phoebe holding hands at the foot of the bed, with their eyes wide and chins quivering. I feel like the worst father and uncle in the world. Teddy crawls up next me and hands me some tissues.

"Thanks, buddy," I rasp out.

"Are you okay, Dad?" He asks timidly as he wrinkles his nose. Yeah Ted, I know I smell bad.

"I'm fine, Ted. You and the girls need to leave now," I order.

"But, Dad…"

"No. Go, please," I beg. I don't want them to see me like this. He gets down and pushes a still stunned Ava and Phoebe out of the room. I sit up a little to see him return to the door and give me sad look before I wave him away.

I roll onto my front and groan into my pillow. I haven't been this hung over in a long time. I've always tried to abstain from alcohol when Ana is pregnant as a form of support, but last night was different. I just got the urge to drink and get the fuck out of my own head. My brain was in overdrive and alcohol turned out to be the only balm.

What are my kids going to think of me? I know they're young, but what if this affects them in the long run? They'll have their own experiences with alcohol and piece all this shit together. They'll remember that time when they watched their father throw his guts up while he smelled like death's doorstep. I know I've scared the hell out of Phoebe, she was about to cry. I think Teddy just pities me, or is disappointed with me. You know you've fucked up when your six-year-old son is disappointed with you.

I barely remember what happened last night. I know Ana and I were talking with guests before she forced food down my throat and left me. I remember dancing with my daughter and niece and taking shots at the bar with my brother. I faintly recall someone screaming and then getting really horny. Shit. I'm going to need Ana to fill me in on what happened.

I can hear Teddy and Ana chatting as they walk up the stairs. It sounds like she's agreeing to some requests Ted is making. Her voice is soothing and motherly, but I know it will change when she talks to me.

Ana asks Teddy to stay by the door frame as she walks over to me. Despite the throbbing in my head, I manage to sit against the headboard. She hands me a glass of water and glances at Teddy before speaking.

"Your son requested we bring you a drink of water," she states with a hint of anger in her voice.

I can't find my voice, so I turn to Ted and mouth "thank you," before Ana dismisses him to go and play. Ana stands close to the bed and I pat the space next to me as a request. She shakes her head and crosses her arms, resting them on her baby bump. I take a sip of water and revel in the soothing coolness. I take a few more gulps before setting down my glass and clearing my throat. I go to talk but Ana beats me to the punch.

"I bet you feel like crap today," she states. I just nod at her. "Are you going to tell me why you got so wasted last night?" I shrug. I'm not sure I want her knowing. It will make me seem like a pathetic asshole. "Well, when you're ready we'll be downstairs having brunch." Brunch? What? The look on my face forces her to continue. "Yes, brunch. It's too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, but the babies want bacon, so we're having brunch." She starts to walk out of the room but stops at the door, "and please shower, Christian. You smell like a dumpster," and with that she leaves the room.

I must have really pissed her off last night. What did I do? I manage to get in the shower and use the warm environment to wrack my brain for answers. Memories of her rejecting me come flooding back, but why did she do it? Then I remember lying on a really cold floor. I've never been an emotional drunk but it's obvious something got the better of me last night.

Ever since Ted was born my main goal in life is to not be a shitty father. I don't want to neglect my children or cause them suffering. After some doubts recently, I think I'm improving with Teddy and Phoebe. They have had me wrapped around their little fingers since the days they came into this world. That whole journey with them has probably been made void after last night. I just hope they didn't see me acting like an idiot. Now I have extra little people to protect and love. Loving them will be easy, I know that. Protecting them will be a challenge. I'm worried the stress of four young children will break me and I'll turn into the overbearing, megalomaniac, control freak I once was. I can still be that man, but never at home. Never in front of my family. Not even Ana would be able to deal with that again. Shit. I brace myself against the wall and try to control my breathing. My heart is racing as the tension in my body builds. I sit on the tiled floor and put my face in my hands while I try to calm down. I need to calm down. I have to go help my wife raise our children. She's downstairs, pregnant and dealing with a six and four-year-old. Good work, Grey. Great fucking husband you are.

I pull myself up and finish washing myself. Brush my teeth three times and dress in whatever clothes are here. Sweats, a t-shirt and a jacket. These must be pretty old. The mirror shows me a face with huge bags under my eyes and some of the lines on my face look more pronounced. Basically, I look like crap.

* * *

I stumble down the stairs, still feeling a little out of it before walking towards the dining room. I peek into the room to see I'm the last to arrive. Elliot is dressed similarly to me and is resting his elbows on the table to support his head with an untouched cup of coffee in front of him. I feel your pain, bro. At the other end of the table Ana, Mia and Ethan are talking animatedly with the children while eating their food. Kate joins in when she can as she feeds Eden some sort of mush. Mom and Dad watch from Elliot's end and beckon me over to the spare seat near them.

All eyes are on me and I walk slowly to my seat. Mom loads a plate of food for me and Dad pours me some coffee. Both are acting hospitable but don't seem exactly happy with me. The room is loud, to say the least and my brain feels like it's going to explode. Elliot takes a bite of some bacon before clamping a hand over his mouth and running to the bathroom. Kate doesn't even seem fazed.

I sit and eat my pancakes quietly and watch my children from afar. They seem happy. Phoebe is sitting in Ethan's lap and I think she's telling him a story. She finishes and relaxes back into his embrace as he kisses her on the head. Cute, I guess, but that should be me. It's Sunday and I want to spend the day playing and cuddling with my kids. Not being hung over and hated on by everyone. I bet Elliot will understand.

"If you'll excuse me, family," I announce and stand from the table. They all look to me, probably surprised by my formality. Ana cocks her head in confusion before turning back to clean syrup out of Ava's blonde locks.

I find Elliot sitting at the kitchen island. I flop down in the stool next to his and lean down so my face is against the cool granite. It immediately starts to soothe my headache.

"I think we had a little bit too much to drink last night," I state the obvious.

"Do you gotta be so loud, dude?" Elliot murmurs and I give a little chuckle before realising that it hurts my head and needs to stop.

I can hear a small argument erupt back in the dining room, my father's naturally loud voice being the most prominent. He seems to be trying to stop my mom from doing something. Oh god. I know what's coming when I hear footsteps down the hall.

"ELLIOT AND CHRISTIAN TREVELYAN-GREY! MY OFFICE! NOW!" My mother yells. Elliot and I both groan before getting up and following her. I feel like I'm a teenager again.

As soon as we enter the room she slams the door. I know she's doing this to torture us. Mom walks past our barely standing figures and sits behind her huge desk.

"Well. Sit," she commands and we obey. You never cross Grace Trevelyan when she's this angry. She stares us down and contemplates what to say. I'm bracing myself against the chair, knowing this is going to be bad.

"I am completely disgusted at your behaviour, boys," we always turn into 'boys' when we're in trouble, "I have barely been able to control myself since that appalling display you put on last night."

I don't remember what I did last night, but it must have been seriously bad.

"I hope you know you that nearly ruined Mia's party and you embarrassed yourselves in the process. You would think a 35 and a 37 year old would know how to behave at a party, but apparently not!"

"Oh my god, Mom. Stop yelling," Elliot complains. Bad move, man.

"I will make all the noise I like, Elliot! You put yourself in this position and I have absolutely no sympathy for you. The people I do have sympathy for are your wives and children!" What? "Don't look at me like that, Christian. You know what you did!"

"To be honest, Mom, I don't remember a thing," I admit. Elliot nods in agreement.

"Shall I start from the beginning?" We both nod slightly, a little afraid of what we're about to hear. "We'll begin with you, Christian. First you turn up to the party acting fine, and within the hour you're downing alcohol in front of your _pregnant_ wife," she puts the emphasis on pregnant so I feel guilty, and it works. "Your wife then tries to feed you so you don't make yourself ill, and you get angry at her for no apparent reason. You pick up and dance with your daughter, while drunk! Actually, you both did that," her glare becomes more menacing, if that's possible and Elliot drops his head. "You grope your wife in public, and after she rejects that you drink some more with this idiot," she nods to Elliot, "you spend hardly any time with your family and once Ana comes to put you to bed, you yell and embarrass her some more. Your wife who is _pregnant with twins_ had to drag you across to your room while you treated her like crap. She then cleaned up your vomit and cared for you until you passed out. Your father and Ethan then had to help her get you back into bed as she couldn't do it herself. How do you feel now?"

Fuck. This is worse than I thought. How do I feel? Fucking ashamed, like the worst husband and father in the universe, like I don't deserve anything in this world if I can't even control myself. I hang my head in shame as Mom stares at me.

"That's what I thought," she states.

"Now, you," she glares at Elliot. "You, like your brother, got insanely drunk around your wife who also cannot drink. You didn't help her care for your baby and I've been told this is nothing new." Woah. I stare at Elliot and he looks more ashamed than me. I've always thought Elliot was an involved and loving father. "You also were lifting children while drunk, including swinging around Teddy. Do you realise how dangerous that is?!" WHAT? I missed that. Fucking hell. He put my son in danger, but I guess I did the same to my daughter. "You then announced that Teddy was the best to play with, while your daughters were in the vicinity, consequently upsetting your wife who you then didn't comfort as she broke down. She took the girls to bed by the way, no help from you at all. Ana had to get your father to walk you to a couch to sleep since you couldn't do it alone and if you'd gone to bed with your wife, you probably would have squished your baby girl." Yeah, this is bad.

"I have another bone to pick with you, Elliot," he raises his eyes to look at her again, "I can't believe you would vocalise in front of Ava and Kate that you would much rather play ball with Teddy. Kate told us that you bought Ava some Mariners gear but dismissed playing catch with her since you'd rather do it with your nephew." I gape at Elliot. I know he's jealous I have a son but Ava is an amazing little girl and would do anything to please her father. "Kate also said you hardly play with the girls anymore. Is this true?" He nods once, "do you have any idea how that affects a child? Their own father won't play with them. I know you want a son, but you have two wonderful daughters who need their dad. I know you love them, but you need to show them that. You need to support Kate. She told us everything about the doctors getting Eden's gender wrong," What?! I need to catch up, "but you need to move on, and love that little girl with everything you have. Kate thinks you regret having her," that causes a look of shock to plant itself on Elliot's face, "You may end up having a son, but now you need to cherish your daughters. I never thought I would have to spell this out to you. You're 37, you need to grow up and act like the husband and father I know you can be."

Elliot has tears streaming down his face and I go to pat his shoulder but he shrugs me away. He goes to stand but Mom stops him. What else is there?

"Christian," oh me again, "I don't know what's going on with you, but you need to talk to Ana. She's worried sick about you. She says you're lovely and happy one minute and closed off and angry the next. It's as if you're having pregnancy mood swings. Your poor wife is dealing with this while hormones run rampant through her body. I know you're scared but please share your fears with Ana, that's what she's there for. You know she'll support you with whatever is happening at the moment, she always has. Theodore and Phoebe will suffer if they see a bad relationship between their parents, you of all people should know that."

She's guilt tripping me into understanding and I do. I completely understand. Tears prick at the edges of my eyes. Elliot and I have not only disappointed our parents, but we've let down our wives and children. Disappointment is so much worse than anger. Mom's face softens when she sees us both crying and filled with regret. She walks over and gives us each a hug and a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room. Elliot and I stare at each other in silence before wiping the tears away from our cheeks. Elliot gives me a small nod and leaves the room. I follow him out to search for our families.

Breakfast is over and we find everyone watching TV and playing in the family room. Elliot runs over to Kate, takes Eden and holds her tightly as he starts to sob. His body shakes and Ava runs over to him, hugging his legs. He shifts Eden to one arm and picks up Ava in the other. He kisses all over their faces before gesturing to Kate to leave the room with him.

I walk over to Ana and hold my hands out to help her up. As soon as she's standing I embrace her as hard as I can without crushing her belly. I rest my forehead against hers, staring into those beautiful blue eyes, before kissing her slowly and passionately. Our lips move together softly before my tongue brushes against her lower lip. She opens her mouth for me and our tongues stroke each other sensually before someone clears their throat. I turn my head to see everyone, even my children, staring at us. Ana blushes deeply and I let her go so we can move to another room. Mia gives me a look that says "I'll keep the rascals busy," and I know I can trust her to keep them away for a little while.

* * *

I lead Ana into the library and sit her down on one of the plush couches. Her face is filled with worry and I want to kiss away the furrow that has developed between in her eyebrows. She probably heard some of the things Mom was yelling at us, and I am filled with so much regret. I acted like such an ass last night. I sit close to her and she turns her body towards me. I place my hands on our babies and stare into her eyes again. I could get lost in those eyes. Actually, I do get lost in those eyes, frequently.

We sit in silence as I try to form the words that will hopefully gain my wife's forgiveness. I realise I need to admit everything without interruption. I need to ask her to do this, otherwise she'll try to reassure me and I won't be able to finish this conversation.

"Will you let me speak freely without interruption?" I ask softly.

She nods. "I can try," she whispers back.

"Firstly I want to say I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I will apologise for the rest of my life if you want me to. I acted like a fool last night. Mom told me what I did, and I am so ashamed. I can't believe you put up with that and I can't believe you haven't left me for doing it," I cough in an attempt to stop crying and I can see Ana is about to say something about never leaving me. I place one finger on her plump lips to stop her. "I will tell you why I acted the way I did last night, but I wanted to apologise first for not being with you and our children, for acting like an ass towards you, and for you having to take care of me. I also want to thank you for that. You are the most caring and loving woman I know, and I know you'll be there for me when I get too drunk, which won't be happening again for a long time."

Small tears are running down Ana's face and I lean in to kiss them away. She closes her eyes for a minute, but they open when I move back into my original position. Now is the time I need to confess why I acted like I did. I start rubbing her belly for comfort, knowing that these little ones are the reason I'm feeling this way and the reason I need to change. I need to get over my fears to be a good father to them. It's what they deserve. I take a deep breath and Ana looks at me with concern.

"After you feeling the babies move and us picking out some names, I was happy. So incredibly happy that things were going so well that I couldn't keep the smile off my face. The next day at work, I don't know why, but I did more research on twins. I freaked myself out. I got so scared that I wouldn't be able to care for two newborns at once. We were fine with Teddy, and a little overwhelmed with him and Phoebe, but then it struck me that we'd have four kids. Four children under seven. I know I can support them financially, but can I support them emotionally? Would I be able to support you after having two babies? How are we going to make sure they're always fed and happy? What if they're hungry at the same time? Will we even be able to do this? My mind was overflowing with doubt and fear." I hang my head in shame at what I'm about to admit. "Truthfully, I'd already had a couple of drinks before we left for the party. I'd done it while I was helping Teddy get ready. I feel so bad. I thought it would make me loosen up, and it did, until it really hit me. I started getting resentful, towards you for getting pregnant and towards the crackwhore for making me this way." I realise I'm crying again and Ana is trying to calm me down. "Then I felt mortified that I had thought that about you, about our children! My own flesh and blood! What kind of monster am I? So I kept drinking until I felt numb. I know it was wrong, and that I'm wrong. I love you and our babies and I am immensely sorry."

Ana pulls me towards her and my head finds its way onto her neck. I breathe in her sweet scent as I try to relax. She is softly "shh"-ing me and strokes my back and hair. This woman is a saint. What would I do without her?

"Christian," Ana coos as she grabs a hold of my shoulder and pushes me to sit up. "Thank you for sharing that with me, baby. I have a question though," she says nervously.

"I will answer anything," I promise her.

"Is the drinking and resentful thinking the reason you were crying and saying sorry last night? Or was it something else?" She looks really scared. I don't remember that happening but what else would I be sorry for? She doesn't think that I've done something worse than what I've just admitted?

"I wasn't aware I'd done that. Mom didn't say anything about it…"

"That's because she doesn't know. I was the only one there when it happened. I cleaned you up before any other family came in." Yep. She's a damn saint. This woman saved me from the embarrassment such a situation could have caused. She saves me. Every single day.

"I guess it was, then. I felt so bad last night. I can't believe I'd thought that about you. I felt like the worst husband and father in the world."

"But you're not, Christian. You're the best father and husband in my eyes. Yes, you have your fears but it's something we'll work through together. These babies are coming into the world where their father loves them so much he's scared he won't care for them properly. They are some very lucky babies."

"I'm so sorry for what I did and how I acted. I'm also sorry for worrying you so much, I know it's not good for you and the babies. I promise to try and change. Will you forgive me?" I ask softly, looking straight into those baby blues.

"Of course, Christian. You're forgiven but this won't be forgotten," I look at her confused, "I think you and I need to take a visit to see Dr Flynn."

I sigh. I knew this was coming. I've been thinking it myself. "I agree, he can help me through this again."

She nods in agreement and a small smile touches her lips. I look at her perplexed. Why is she smiling right now?

"I'm so glad you shared this with me, Christian. I don't think you know how much I appreciate your openness. We can do this, by the way. I know we can do it, together."

"Anything for you, Ana. I love you so much," I lean in and our lips touch softly. This isn't a kiss that will turn into something intense and passionate; it's a kiss of forgiveness and an assurance of her love for me.

"I love you too, Christian," she mumbles against my lips. I don't want to pull away but I have to.

"I need to speak with Phoebe and Teddy alone, to apologise for my behaviour. I can't believe I put them at risk last night. I'll need your forgiveness for that too," I look down at my hands that are still lightly rubbing her belly. It's like a reflex that I can't control.

"I forgive you for that too, it's not like anything bad came from it. The kids were fine," she assures me. "You stay here. Now, do you want them together or one at a time?"

"One at a time, please," I request. She kisses me again before leaving the room. I wipe my face and try to erase any sign of crying. I know it upsets my children to see me sad.

A short while later I hear Teddy bounding towards the library. My mini-me runs into the room and I pat the cushion next to me for him to climb on.

"Hey little man, I just wanted to talk to you alone for a moment." Those Anastasia eyes stare back at me, urging me to continue. "I want to say sorry for how I acted last night. I didn't spend any time with you at the party and I was being silly. I'm sorry I didn't tuck you in and kiss you goodnight. Will you forgive me?"

Teddy climbs into my lap and wraps his little arms around my neck.

"Is that a yes?"

"Mhmmm."

"Do you still love me?"

"Mhmmm." I laugh a little at how his non-answers reassure me as much as a proper 'yes' would. I squeeze him into my chest and kiss his cheek.

I sigh before telling him that I love him and ask him to bring me his sister. After he leaves I feel kind of bad for always asking my children if they love me, but I need the reassurance. I crave it. It boosts my confidence as a father.

Phoebe jumps into my lap and buries her face in my neck. I need to simplify my apology for her. It's amazing how two years can hold so much development in children.

"Pheebs?" I ask, tilting her head towards my face, "Daddy wants to say a big sorry for not playing with you at the party, and for not giving you goodnight cuddles and kisses. Will you forgive me?" I think she understands as she nods a yes to me. I wrap my arms around her and she sinks into my embrace.

"Do you still love Daddy?" She perks up a little and moves to place her face right in front of mine. Grey eyes to grey eyes.

"Yes, I love you lots, Daddy," she tells me before grabbing my face in her tiny hands and giving me a peck on the lips. This is something she usually only reserves for her mommy and I'm so comforted that she showed her love for me this way. She really can be a sweet girl when she wants to be.

* * *

I'm walking back to the family room with Phoebe on my shoulders. I'm holding her hands and moving her arms for her, causing her to giggle like mad. She sounds just like her mommy and it warms my heart. I love hearing my girls giggle.

As we join the rest of the family I see Kate snuggled up to Elliot's side. He has Ava on one side of his lap as Eden sleeps peacefully against his other shoulder. Kate is rubbing her tiny back as she talks to Ava quietly about something. Elliot is resting his head against the back of the couch and looks like he's about to fall asleep too. He must see me walk in as he gives me a nod, reassuring me that everything is okay. I kneel on the ground and lower my head to let Phoebe walk off and Teddy jumps on me from another direction. I start wrestling with both my children, and their laughs and hugs are their own special way of telling me that I'm still the most important man in their lives.

* * *

**A/N: Jiminy jillikers long chapter! I was going to split it up but then I wanted to wrap up the whole Halloween thing. Thanks for all the love again, I'm sorry I haven't been able to reply to reviews yet, but I appreciate every one! I never thought my writing would be this positively reviewed. Hope you're still enjoying it!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

* * *

_Ana POV_

Christian is bouncing his legs as he sits on the chair next to the examination table. His spirits have definitely improved after three sessions alone with Dr Flynn. It's only been ten days since the confession but I believe the doctor is making progress with his fears and self-deprecating behaviour.

"I'm so excited to find out what we're having. I cannot thank you enough for expanding our little family," Christian smiles at me and leans in to kiss my lips lightly.

"Well, I couldn't of done it without you, baby," I remind him. He chuckles and sighs as he leans back into his seat.

"I just love being a daddy. I want as many babies as you can pop out."

"Hey, hey, slow down. Let's just get these ones out first, alright?" Dr Greene suggests as she walks over to the ultrasound machine. Christian grins back at her. I roll my tank top to above my bump as gel is squirted onto me.

"So, we're here to find out if you're having little boys or little girls?" Dr Greene asks and Christian and I nod in unison. "I'll also be doing some other tests to check how your pregnancy is going."

Dr Greene turns on the machine and starts to move the wand over my belly. We can see their little bodies all curled up and then views of their heads. Dr Greene clicks away as she takes measurements of their growth. "Did you tell them they were having a scan today? They are in great positions for determining their gender," the doctor tells us. She keeps freezing the screen on everything but the lower half of their bodies. I bet she's torturing us.

"Well? Are you going to do it?" Christian probes. Dr Greene laughs.

"Of course. Are you ready?" Christian's head is about to fall off from nodding so enthusiastically. Dr Greene moves the wand to one twin and we can clearly see what we're looking for. She then moves over to the next twin just to make sure. We're all squinting at the screen as Dr Greene's face falls.

"What's going on doctor? It looks…weird," Christian states.

"Umm…uhh…can you two just give me second?" Dr Greene asks in a panicked tone.

I turn to Christian with wide eyes and he runs a hand through his hair. He looks confused and worried at the same time. Dr Greene presses a buzzer on the wall and an older male doctor in a white coat walks in. He takes over from Dr Greene at the machine and after a thorough examination takes her to the corner for a chat. They are talking in low whispers and all I hear is "I guess you got it wrong then," and "tell them gently," before he exits the room.

Dr Greene slowly walks back to her seat and grabs the wand. "Okay, Greys, it seems a spanner has been thrown in the works…"

"What do you mean?" I ask. Is it something bad? Is there something wrong with my babies?

"Well as you can see this baby," she moves the wand, "has a penis, and is clearly a boy," we nod, "but this baby…" she moves the wand over, "does not. That means she is a girl. Now, I called in the other doctor because, as you know, we thought you were having identical twins as there was only one placenta. It turns out after further inspection that there are two placentas but they are fused together. I read the earlier scans completely wrong. I'm sorry."

"So, we're having one of each?" Christian asks incredulously.

"Well, I'd like to do a 3D scan to make sure. As you know, we usually do them a lot later so parents can see their baby's faces, but this will definitely determine the gender." Christian and I both agree to it and Dr Greene leaves us to set it up.

"Well, this is a surprise," Christian breathes out, "why do things keep changing on us?"

"Nothing's changed, baby. Turns out they've read another Grey ultrasound wrong. Maybe we need a new doctor?" I suggest.

"Well it fucking looks like it, way to screw us around!"

"Calm down, Christian," I rub his chest. "This is good news. I'd love to have one of each," I smile warmly at him.

He gives a huff before agreeing. "I just want them to be healthy. I'll be very happy if I get a mini-Ana."

"And I'll be ecstatic if I get another mini-Christian."

"What? Two isn't enough for you?" He jokes.

"Oh! So you admit Phoebe does look like you!" I tease back at him.

"Well now she's older, apart from her hair, she is starting to look like a girly version of me."

"She's gorgeous."

"She really is. Now they'll each have a sibling like them. We should see this as a blessing." He squeezes my hand and I pull on it to claim his lips. His tongue slips into my mouth and we make out like teenagers until we hear the door open. Heat fills my face as Dr Greene returns and starts the next ultrasound.

The babies look nothing like they did in previous 3D scans. Dr Greene tells us they have less fat on them, so they look quite scrawny. She checks their genitals again and it's very clear that one is a girl. As the screen shows our little boy's face, Christian leans into my ear and whispers "Oliver, definitely an Oliver." I couldn't agree more.

"Would you like to see your baby girl's face?" Dr Greene asks softly. She has changed her voice with the amount of emotion filling through the room. Christian nods as I stare at the screen. Her face is tiny and bony, but I can tell she's going to be beautiful.

"I'm so sorry for the mix up. Unfortunately this can happen a lot with twins. Preliminary scans are tough to read," Dr Greene admits.

"It's alright, truly," I assure her, "we're happy as long as they're healthy."

"That reminds me, I need to check your blood pressure and measure you." She cleans the gel off my belly and runs a measuring tape down my belly. "You seem to be on track, and so are the babies."

"So my bowling ball belly is okay?"

"It is very round. Just one of the forms it can take and we see all sorts with twins. How have you been feeling?" Dr Greene asks as she takes my blood pressure.

"I've been alright, just extremely tired. Everyone got the flu a few weeks ago so looking after them took a lot out of me," I answer truthfully.

"Well, your blood pressure is a little higher than usual but I did just freak you out for a second. I'd try and avoid stress if I were you. Twins can make you extra tired, so take more breaks and days off work if you feel the need to. Don't push yourself. You've had a tough pregnancy before so we'd like to not repeat that, right?"

"Right," I agree.

"Okay, I'll print out some more photos to take home and then you can get going. Again, I'm sorry for the mix up," she apologises as she hands us a stack of pictures.

* * *

I'm leaning against Christian in the bath tub as he massages my shoulders. The room is filled with the aroma of Jasmine and bubbles surround us as we try to relax from our exceptionally stressful day. After leaving the doctor's office we had numerous phone calls from our families asking to know the gender of the babies. We not only felt uncomfortable revealing to Elliot that we are having another boy, but are still in shock after being told my pregnancy is completely different to what we originally thought and planned for. Christian ended up agreeing to tell everyone on our Thanksgiving vacation in Aspen. Our entire family will be there, including Mom and Bob. We were also struggling with two children hyped up on so much Halloween candy that they just did not want to go to bed.

Christian moves his hands to rest them on my bump as he kisses my neck. My head lounges against his shoulder as he begins to kiss up my jaw.

"So, we're going with Oliver for the boy?" He asks quietly.

"Mmhmm, Oliver Christian Grey sounds good to me," I murmur, too relaxed to speak any louder.

"If you insist, my darling. What about our baby daughter?"

"I-unno, I feel kinda bad for not including my mom in any of this," I admit.

"Well Teddy is named after your dad and Phoebe after my mom…"

"Yeah but Teddy is also named after your grandfather," I interject.

"True. Do you want to name her after one of your grandmothers?"

"I never knew them, so I don't see the point. Do you want to call her Charlotte or Madeleine? You liked them, right?"

"Yeah, but I only wanted to call them that if they were both girls," he sighs, "but if our sons middle name is Christian, we should name the girl Anabelle, like we agreed."

"Ugh, do we have to?" I complain.

"It's only fair, Mrs Grey," Christian playfully scolds.

"Anabelle is a very pretty variation," I concede.

"A very pretty name for a very pretty baby," he agrees and kisses my neck, "but we still need a first name."

"I still really like Eloise…we could have Olly and Ellie?" I suggest.

"Anastasia."

"What? I just think Eloise Anabelle Grey sounds good," I fight back.

"I'm still thinking about it. How about Imogen? Imogen Anabelle Grey. Olly and Immy." Hmm Imogen is pretty. I sigh. We're definitely not going to agree for a while.

"I'll sleep on it," I say with a wink.

"Winking, Mrs Grey? Are you trying to seduce me?" He asks playfully.

"Is it working?"

"Always," he promises as he moves me to face him. I run my fingers through his hair as he kisses my forehead, nose and lips.

* * *

**A/N: The usual thanks for the reviews etc. Filly chapter to move on to the good stuff! So, Eloise or Imogen? I can't choose! **


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Thanks for all the love and votes! For the people who asked, Eloise is pronounced Elle-oh-weez and Imogen is pronounced Immo-jen (most websites say IM-oh-jen or IM-eh-jen, they all sound the same in my head now) for the purposes of this story. I realise they may be said differently but this is the way I say them with an Australian accent and I've been running them through my head so much they barely seem like words anymore. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_Ana POV_

Flynn is staring us down, waiting for us to talk. I have Christian's hand in mine as I stare down at the coffee table between us. After a few pleasantries and general questions, Flynn asked Christian to explain his feelings. I felt him freeze and glare at the doctor even though he knew this was coming. We've been silent ever since and I guess Christian is trying to pull together his thoughts. I see him move to face me in my peripheral vision but stay where I am.

"Ana?" he asks quietly and I turn to face him. His eyes show his fear and reluctance. I nod at him to continue, not wanting to hinder the confession he's about to make.

"Ana, you have to realise that even after what I say now, I still love you and our children more than you all know, okay?" I want to disagree or fight back or respond in some way, I but I know I shouldn't, so I just give one nod. "You know that when we married, I thought we'd have years before we started even talking about babies. That all went down the drain when we found out about Teddy, and I don't regret him at all. Not one bit. You need to know that. We've talked about why I freaked out and…left, but what you didn't know is I had a similar reaction when we found out about Phoebe. Not exactly the same, but similar."

What? I'm so confused. We were the picture of happiness when we found out I was pregnant again. Christian drops his gaze and stares at our conjoined hands. He takes a deep breath before speaking again.

"I..I remember sitting in the bathroom with you. I had Teddy squirming on my lap while you tickled him and we waited for the test to finish. I remember thinking about how young Teddy was and how you couldn't really be that far along if you were pregnant. Then we held that test together and it was confirmed we were having another baby, I was so happy yet so scared. We went through it together that time so I held my emotions in. I didn't know how we could handle a newborn and a toddler. I didn't know how to be a father to two children, and now we'll have four. It's going to be two against four, Ana. What happens if Teddy and Phoebe are hungry when the babies are? What if the babies are hungry at the same time? How are we going to give Ted and Phe the attention they need when we have two tiny babies who will be completely dependent on us? I'm scared I'm going to screw them up, or screw our first two up since I won't be able to take care of everyone. Newborns always throw out my control and this time there will be two instead of one!"

"Christian, you missed one of the main points we discussed," Flynn reminds him. It is met with another glare.

"Right…" Christian looks ashamed before he makes his confession, "I'm…I'm…just not sure I have enough love in me…" he says quickly before dropping his head into his hands.

I stifle a gasp. Excuse me? Not enough love? What the hell are you on about, Christian?

"What do you mean?" I question. It sounds more like my breath than words, but I know he heard it.

"Ugh!" Christian grunts as he rubs his temples.

"Christian," Flynn warns. I guess he thinks Christian is about to shut himself off.

"Okay, okay," he concedes, lifting his head and grabbing both my hands in his, "When we met, you know how closed off I was. I didn't know how to love, and in time, you showed me that I could and would love those close to me. My relationships with my family have improved because of you, and I can't thank you enough for that. They say a woman becomes a mother the minute she finds out she's pregnant, but a man doesn't feel like a father until he holds his child for the first time. I don't think that's true for me. I felt like a father the first time I felt Teddy move inside you. We went through so much crap at the start of your pregnancy and it was a miracle Ted survived. Our little miracle that I love so much."

Christian takes his hand out of mine to brush it over his eyes, catching the tears before they fall. This display of emotion shows me that he loves our children deeply, and I'm not sure what to expect next.

"When I felt Phoebe move I didn't have the same reaction, and that scared me, but when I held her for the first time and her tiny fist grasped my pinky finger, I had this huge surge of love for her. Like my heart had swelled so that love could fit. My love has only grown for both of them over the years, and for you, for bringing them into this world. I am nothing without you all."

Christian pauses, hesitant to continue. I know this is hard for him. I'm worried he thinks I'm going to get angry or leave him or something.

"Christian, it's okay, please tell me," I beg and he takes another deep breath.

"I…I know I've changed a lot. I've been able to do things I never thought were possible. I've learnt to love and to accept love back. My heart feels like it's going to burst some days. I know these babies are real, and are coming but I don't know how I can handle more love. Ah, I don't know how to explain this. I know I've told the babies I love them, and I think it's because I love the idea of them. I love that Teddy and Pheebs will have siblings and that I'll witness you being the perfect mother, but I'm not sure if I love them yet. It might change when I feel them move, or when I hold them, but I'm scared that it won't. That my cold heart won't be able to love them enough and they'll resent me for it."

Oh, Christian. My poor fifty. He's been holding this all in for at least four years, if not longer. That brain of his needs a good slap.

"Christian, baby, look at me," his pain filled eyes meet mine and my heart breaks a little, "I'm not saying this is going to be easy, but we can do it. We're not alone in this. We have Gail and a family that will be more than happy to help out. We can go to classes if you'd like, we can learn how to take care of four children. We learnt how to take care of a toddler and a newborn, and this will just be another lesson. Food is not a problem either. Breastfeeding relies on supply and demand. If they want it, they'll get it. I can pump and you can feed one while I feed the other, or I can feed them at the same time. It will work out. I'm sure Teddy and Phoebe will want to help out and they're too sweet to be resentful. Every parent fears they'll do something wrong, I do all the time, but Teddy and Phoebe don't seem to be too screwed up yet so I think we've done pretty well."

I give a little chuckle as I try to lighten the mood.

"There is no doubt in my mind that you will love these babies. Even if you don't think you do now, you will when they're born. As soon as you see them you'll love them as much as you love Teddy and Phoebe. They will love you unconditionally and you won't be able to not love them back. Your heart will grow to fit in the love again. You do not in any way have a cold heart. You never did. Someone brainwashed you into thinking that. Okay?" He nods solemnly. "I know you'll probably need to keep working through this, and I'll be here every step of the way. You are the most loving, caring, funny, a little controlling, protective and wonderful father any child could ever want and need. Teddy, Phoebe, Oliver and baby girl Grey are so lucky to have you."

Christian is crying again and I run my hands through his hair. "Come here," I demand and our lips meet. I can taste the salt from his tears on his lips as I try and kiss the doubt out of him.

"Oliver?" Flynn asks, breaking our moment.

"Yes, we're naming our baby boy Oliver Christian," I clarify.

"That's a great name. Are you comfortable naming him after you, Christian?"

He nods, "I am now. He's half me so I guess it makes sense."

"What about baby girl Grey? You haven't picked a name yet?" Flynn probes.

"That's actually something I'd like to bring up here, John," I speak up, "we're at a bit of an impasse with the name."

"Alright, continue."

"Well we've named Teddy and Phoebe after significant members of our family and we want to keep that as a tradition. Teddy is actually named after two. My mother's name doesn't really work with anything, so I thought we could name the girl after Christian's birth mother. He strongly opposed Ella so I suggested Eloise. I think he still doesn't like it, but he won't elaborate further on it."

Flynn gives Christian a questioning look, wordlessly telling him to explain his reluctance.

"I think Eloise is a very nice name, but I'm still struggling with the concept of naming my innocent daughter after someone who neglected their child. I know my birth mother was high most of the time, and she was a prostitute to make a living for us, but I don't think a child should be named after someone like that. What if she finds out? What do we say? You were named after daddy's birth mom who he watched die. No. I don't want that. Ana, you said you didn't want to name her after your grandmothers since you didn't know them and they had no influence in your life. Well Ella had an influence in mine, but it wasn't a very positive one. I know she did what she could to keep me alive and that she loved me, but that's where I want the line to end. I hope you respect my wishes on that."

"Can you understand where he's coming from, Ana?" Flynn asks.

"Yes, I get it now. Sorry for pushing it."

"Do you have any other names in mind?"

"Well I want her middle name to be Anabelle, after Ana, because Oliver is named after me. I think that makes sense. We could even go with Anna or Annie. I really like Imogen for a first name though," Christian answers.

"I like Imogen too," I agree as I squeeze his hand.

"I think we've come a really long way in this session. The fact you want to name your child after yourself shows me that you're comfortable with there being another Christian Grey. You are no longer ashamed of your past or your name. Christian, we will need further sessions to keep pounding out the love issue, and Ana can join you if Christian pleases. You two need to keep on being open with each other and know that I'll always be here to be a mediator."

We all stand and Christian begins to lead me out of the room. "See you next week, Christian?" Flynn asks and Christian nods. I give a little wave as we exit the room.

Christian is still tense as we ride home in the car so I lean against his shoulder. I place my hand above his heart and feel him relax. He takes my hand to kiss it and hold it back on his chest. I know he doesn't want to talk so I let him stare out of the window.

* * *

Christian didn't join us for dinner after the appointment. I spent half an hour making excuses to our children as to why Daddy wasn't eating with us. He asked me not to let the children disturb him as he needed a little time to himself. I guess he's still working through some demons in his head and doesn't want Ted and Phoebe to see him like that. Taylor is helping Teddy with his math homework while Phoebe plays on the floor in front of the TV. After Phoebe asked where Daddy was for probably about the tenth time, I had to leave the room. She looked at me with those puppy dog eyes and I couldn't hold back my emotions any longer. The kids haven't seen their dad since before school and miss the attention he gives them. I'm not entirely happy that Teddy had to ask Taylor to help him with homework when that's part of his usual father/son time.

I wish I could have some wine right now to calm me down, but water will have to suffice. I'm slowly drinking my second glass in front of the sink when I hear footsteps behind me. I somehow just know it's Christian so I don't react. The footfalls get closer and I soon feel big, familiar hands on my shoulders. He runs his hands down my arms then up my body, stopping to rest them on my waist. He starts to rub my sides and places his head on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he whispers into my ear. I let him continue his actions as the repetitive motion is calming me. I slowly turn and rest my back against the kitchen counter. Christian envelops me in his arms and clasps his hands at the small of my back. My burgeoning belly is touching his as we gaze into each other's eyes.

"What are you sorry for?" I ask quietly.

"For causing you to worry and stress out. I'm changing and learning, baby. I promise," he vows.

"I know you are but I just don't want you to be hurting. Everything will work out. It always does in Grey world. Now, kiss?"

"You should never have to ask, baby," Christian says before leaning in to kiss me. I nip his bottom lip right before his tongue slips into my mouth. Passion is coursing through my veins and I move my hands down to Christian's ass and give it a squeeze. He moans into my mouth as his hands crawl upwards to grasp my breasts. I open my eyes when I feel another presence in the room and see Phoebe standing by the entrance, eyes wide and toy lamb hanging limply in one hand.

I pull away from Christian and move my hands to a more child friendly area. Christian follows my gaze to see his daughter and places his hands on my back again.

"Hey, baby girl. What's up?" Christian asks in a bright tone.

"What were you doing to Mommy?" she responds looking appalled.

"We were just kissing, princess," he answers coolly. I'm leaving this up to him.

"But why?"

"Because Daddy loves Mommy very much and when you love someone a lot you kiss them."

"Your faces were mushed together though."

"Yes, I was giving Mommy special Mommy and Daddy kisses. When you get a husband you can kiss like that too."

"Looks yucky," she sticks her tongue out.

Christian laughs, "Well I like them."

"I love you and Mama lots too, can I have kisses?"

"If you come over here I'll give you special Daddy daughter kisses." As soon as he said 'come over here' Phoebe was already running to his side. She holds up her arms wishing to be picked up and I have to reluctantly let go of my husband. He lifts her up and rests her on his hip and starts to kiss different areas of her face. She tries to kiss back but isn't really succeeding. Christian then lifts her top to give her a huge raspberry on her tummy. Phoebe erupts in girly giggles and I can't help but join in too.

After Christian and I have given Phoebe her fair share of kisses and raspberries she starts to fight to be put down. Christian lowers her and she runs off back to the TV. We embrace again, albeit somewhat awkwardly, and I rest my head on his chest.

"I can't wait to kiss our babies," I admit with a sigh.

"Me either. Since you're having them early I'd say we're over half way there."

"Mmmm," I agree as I bury my nose into his shirt and inhale his sweet scent.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

* * *

_Ana POV_

It's been a seemingly normal few days since our chat with John and we've been getting back into our usual family routine. Wake, get kids ready, work, play with kids, dinner, bathe and put kids to bed, sex then sleep. As much as I hate planning my day, I'm letting Christian exercise his control over our schedule as it appeases him. Happy Christian is beneficial to everyone, especially to me and my libido. Since we've talked things through, Christian has been very giving and attentive in the bedroom. We've even started experimenting with toys again, but nothing too intense as he fears it might affect the babies. I've told him countless times that it's fine, but with my blood pressure issues he refuses to go full-tilt kinky fuckery. I'm so glad my husband is finally coming back to me and with our Thanksgiving holiday next week, I hope he will relax even more. The entire Grey and Kavanagh clans, Mom, Bob and Ray will be there and I hope the grandparents will offer some babysitting hours. I'd like some Ana and Christian time without the worry of what our children are doing.

It's exactly a week until Thanksgiving Day and I have so much to do before we leave for Aspen on Monday. All of the family in Seattle and Ray will be taking the jet down while Mom and Bob fly commercial. Christian was quite distressed that family members had to take a public flight, but there was no other option if we all wanted to meet on the same day. Rest assured he purchased the most expensive tickets for their comfort along with an apology and promise to pay for everything on the trip. Mom thinks it's absolutely ridiculous, but there is no stopping Christian Grey so she's complying with his demands.

Teddy and Phoebe are sitting in their car seats in the SUV kicking their legs around. Taylor is driving us to a specialist outdoor apparel store so we can buy new snow suits. Christian lets the kids attend ski school in Aspen as long as a family member is there to supervise. Considering my condition, I bet it will be me watching them this time. I know Christian will want to ski but he won't last long without me on the mountain with him. I'm hoping my days will consist of Christian, hot chocolate and watching my babies ski from the comfort of the heated lodge.

When we pull up to the store Taylor helps me remove the children from their seats and holds Phoebe back from running away from us. I grab a hand each and we walk into the store to meet our assistant. Christian insists that he trusts me to make decisions on our children's clothing, but there is always a helpful store worker to run off details and suggest the best choices.

My ever patient Theodore lets Phoebe be decked out first so we can all avoid a tantrum. He's a smart boy. Christian already has everyone's personal skis and snowboards stored in Aspen but I let Teddy browse them anyway. The assistant, Amy, and I dress Phoebe in a bright pink snowsuit and undergarments, beanie, gloves and snow boots. I'll be glad when their growth slows a little and we can use these for more than one season. I take a photo of her posing before undressing her. Teddy chooses and royal blue suit with matching accessories. Christian's big rule is that they'll be visible from a distance. No one will be able to miss these two. I take a photo of Teddy smiling sweetly before he politely asks Amy to help him undress. He blushes when she agrees so I think someone has a little crush.

Amy and I converse as I pay and she tells me she is studying to be a kindergarten and elementary school teacher. Teddy has really taken to her so I take her details when she offers to babysit. Of course Mr Control Freak will need to run a background check but I think it will be good for the kids to interact with more people outside of their family.

As we drive home I decide to email Christian the photos of Ted and Phoebe in their snowsuits. Their faces are tiny ovals surrounded by the puff of their outfits. They look so squidgy and cute.

* * *

**From:** Anastasia Grey

**Subject:** Shopping

**Date:** November 15 2018 4:39pm

**To:** Christian Grey

**Attached: **2 photos

Mr Grey,

I found some marshmallows roaming around Seattle and decided to keep them. I hope you don't mind.

Ana xx.

Anastasia Grey

Co-President, Grey Publishing.

* * *

I send off the email with a sly smile. I know he's going to be so confused until he opens the photos.

"Whatcha grinning at, Mommy?" Teddy asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"I just sent your photos to Daddy at work," I answer as I turn to face them.

"Okay. Can we please put some music on?"

"Music! Music!" Phoebe demands.

"Only if you say please, Phoebe," I reply.

"Puuuhleeease, please, please Mama!" She begs and I relent, switching on a kid friendly CD. Phoebe starts to bounce around as Teddy sings along softly. I smile at them until a new email distracts me.

* * *

**From:** Christian Grey

**Subject:** Squishy children

**Date:** November 15 2018 4:55pm

**To:** Anastasia Grey

Dear wife,

What did I do to deserve such adorable children? Andrea is currently printing the photos to frame and place on my desk. Thank you for taking them shopping and I hope Phoebe isn't being too much of a pain.

I'm excited to go to Aspen with you all. As always, my favourite part will be peeling you out of your many layers of snow gear every night.

I may be home late tonight as I am finishing off some work before we go away.

I love all five of you.

C x.

Christian Grey

Obsessed father, needy husband and CEO, Greys Enterprises Holdings.

* * *

Trust Christian to make an innocent email about our children into something sexual. Not that I mind. I just hope I'm awake when he gets home so he can relieve the ache in between my legs. It's borderline cruel to tease a hormonal, pregnant woman like this.

As soon as we get home I am roped in to help Teddy with his spelling homework. The boy hardly needs any help as he spells every word correctly the first time round. He definitely inherited his father's intelligence. Gail is cooking dinner so Phoebe is having a tea party with Sawyer, who she affectionately calls Lukey. I walk in on him wearing a pink blanket as a bib with a tiny teacup in his gigantic hand.

"Ana, Taylor called to say Mr Grey won't be home till about seven this evening," Sawyer tells me. I sigh. Phoebe's bedtime routine will start around that time so she won't get much time with him. I'm going to have one grumpy guts of a daughter if Daddy doesn't give her enough attention.

"Thanks, for letting me know," I say to Sawyer before turning to Phoebe, "It's dinner time, princess." I take her hand to lead her to the dinner table as she babbles about her best friend Lukey. I sort of hope she displays this affection for him in front of her dad. Christian will flip and I think it would be quite entertaining.

* * *

I'm cuddling with Phoebe on the couch when I hear the front door unlocking. It's just before seven so I know it's Christian. Teddy jumps up and runs to the front door. A short while later I see Christian walk in as he piggybacks a giggling Teddy. He lowers him before yelling out for dinner.

"Gail! Can you make up a tray for dinner so I can eat on the couch?"

"Of course, Christian," I hear a faint yell come from the kitchen.

Christian walks over and plops himself down on the couch next to me. "Hey babe," he pecks me on the lips, "sorry for being late."

"S'okay," I say with a yawn. Phoebe crawls across my lap and into her father's, apparently pressing down on a sensitive area.

"Ow! Fuaaar, I mean damn, Phoebe! Be careful!" Christian exclaims as he moves Phoebe to sit on his other side. Phoebe's little brow furrows in confusion.

"What I do, Daddy?"

"Daddy just has some uh…special man parts that hurt if you step on them, okay?" he tries to explain.

"Like this?" Phoebe moves a little and does a large jump so she lands hard on her father's private parts.

"Arrgh! Shit! Off now!" Christian demands and Phoebe giggles as she slides off his legs onto the floor. Christian rubs his inner thighs and adjusts himself just before Gail places a tray on his lap.

"Thanks, Gail. How about I get a little runway show of your new snowsuits kids?" Teddy and Phoebe agree wholeheartedly. "Gail, could you get them changed? Ana seems exhausted."

"Of course," she says with a smile before leading them upstairs.

I snuggle into Christian's side as he eats his pasta with one hand.

"Is little Christian okay?" I ask in a sweet tone and lightly skim my hand over his crotch in the gap between tray and torso.

"I wouldn't call him little but I think he's going to be alright. Mmm rub him better, baby. I'm glad we've got two buns in the oven already or there could have been no more little Greys," he responds and we both start laughing.

I watch Christian eat his dinner and I am mesmerised by the way his mouth is moving. Every lick of his lips is turning me on and I squirm in my seat. Christian raises an eyebrow at me so I start to kiss his shoulder. His stupid shirt is in the way and he smirks when he notices my annoyance. I'm just about to throw away the tray and take my husband then and there when I hear Ted yell "Daddy! Look!"

We both resume normal positions as Christian says "Strut your stuff for me, little man!"

Teddy walks up to us and stills. "Turn around, buddy," Christian requests and Teddy turns bashful and slowly turns with his head down. "Well don't you look handsome! You're going to be the best looking boy on the slopes!"

"Slopes, Daddy?" Teddy questions.

"Yeah, Teddy, I'm going to take you on a big boy mountain this year!"

Teddy's eyes widen and a huge grin spreads on his face. I can't tell if his cheeks are flushed from excitement or from the heat of his outfit.

"Now go get changed, we don't want you to overheat." Ah, control freak emerges. Teddy leaves as Phoebe walks towards us looking like a huge pink marshmallow. She poses in front of us with an award winning smile. "And, twirl!" Christian says and Phoebe starts to spin like a ballerina. "Gorgeous, darling! You look so soft and squishy. I think the squishy monster wants to come out and play!" He coos and flexes his fingers in front of him.

"Nooo! No squishy monster!" Phoebe giggles and steps back.

Teddy emerges dressed in just his underclothes since he's waiting for a bath.

"Are you both excited for Aspen?!" Christian all but yells. The response is two squealing and jumping children. I think we're all excited for Aspen this year.

* * *

Someone is shaking my shoulder. Hard. I roll away from it but they catch me.

"Up, Ana. You need to wake up." Ugh, Christian, go away. It is way too early to be waking up. "Anastasia Rose Grey, I am not kidding. We'll be late for our flight."

I groan. "It's our plane, it can wait," I mumble into my pillow.

"No, Ana. We have a flight plan. Get up and get dressed. You can shower when we get to Aspen," he demands before walking out of the room.

I roll out of bed and stumble to the bathroom. I rub the sleep out of my eyes and look in the mirror. I look like hell. That's what you get when you wake your husband up in the middle of the night to relieve some sexual tension. I brush my teeth and hair before I pack it all up to put in my suitcase.

I walk back into the bedroom to find my sweats and Christian's t-shirt and hoody set out on the bed. I dress quickly and slip on some ugg boots. I'm planning on sleeping on the plane so there's no point in dressing properly. I pack away all my necessities before wandering out into the hall. Everyone else's suitcases and my handbag are already by the top of the staircase and I see Taylor carrying a pyjama-clad Teddy from his room. Christian follows with Phoebe in her pink, fluffy robe.

"You ready?" He whispers and I nod. "Go down to the car, we're leaving in a few."

I grab my bag and walk to the car. As soon as I step outside I'm chilled to the bone. I quickly make it to the SUV and turn up the heating. I watch as my kids are buckled in, still asleep and all our bags are packed into two cars. I check my Blackberry to see it's only five am. Christian wants us to utilise the whole day once we're in Aspen but I'm regretting agreeing to this early flight.

* * *

We pull up to the jet next to another waiting car. A few minutes later all five expected cars are parked together. I get out as soon as I see Kate and rejoice that we are dressed similarly. In fact, all the adults are dressed in sweats, even Christian. We greet each other quickly as we wait for the jet door to open.

"Tell me again why we had to be up at the ass crack of dawn?" Kate asks and everyone laughs. I think the morning coffee routine has been skipped by the looks of Mia and Ethan.

"Do you want to have seven full days in Aspen or not?" Christian snaps back.

"Touchy, touchy," Kate teases back and Christian rolls his eyes. I swear those two will never completely get along.

"Right. Plane doors are open, time to board." Ethan helps carry Teddy on board as security sweep the area and park the cars in the loading bay.

Ava, Teddy and Phoebe are seated together so they can sleep peacefully until we can use the bed and the rest of us buckle up. I notice Elliot has an empty baby carrier strapped to his chest and Kate lap belts Eden for take-off.

Our new flight attendant, Emma, runs through the safety routine. I doubt many of the others have taken much notice as they're either asleep or close to it. We're all whispering to each other and Kate nurses as we take off. I'm thankful that it's good weather and it seems we'll have little turbulence. Nothing worse than three small children and a baby screaming on a plane.

As soon as we're at cruising level I watch Christian move each child into the bedroom. Elliot places Eden in the carrier and she promptly falls asleep against his chest. He and Kate recline their seats for a nap and the rest of the family follow suit. Ray is already snoring lightly. Christian hasn't returned so I get up and walk to the bedroom.

I see Christian sitting on the bed patting Phoebe to sleep and making sure they're all down for the count.

"There's enough room on the side for you to fit. Do you want to sleep here?" He whispers.

"Yes, please," I murmur back and climb under the covers next to Teddy. His little body turns towards me and we cuddle up. His deep breathing lulls me to sleep as Christian slips out of the room.

* * *

I open my eyes when I feel the bed rocking. What I originally thought was turbulence is actually Teddy, Phoebe and Ava clambering out of the bed. I realise I'm too awake to fall back asleep and follow them out. I guess everyone only took short naps from the noise emanating from the main cabin.

I am confronted with some surprising sights as I take in my family. Kate and Elliot are fast asleep. Mia is braiding both her niece's hair. Ethan and Ray are keeping Teddy entertained while Grace and Carrick look like they're about to collapse from exhaustion. The most unexpected scene is Christian pacing the narrow corridor with his baby niece strapped to his chest. He stops when he sees me and I shoot him a questioning look. I'm sort of turned on by the view of my man and a baby.

"Come and sit," he leads me to an empty row and we sit together and he smiles down at the blonde baby, "this little terror has been screaming for nearly 40 minutes. You only slept for about an hour, so we have a little over an hour to go. I can't believe none of you heard it. She's been passed around all morning but only calmed once she was strapped to me. Kate and Elliot said she's been difficult lately and are getting some much needed sleep," he nods towards them, "but I think Mom and Dad could use the bedroom."

"It sure does look like it," I agree, "Grace, Carrick, feel free to nap in the bedroom. It's empty now," I announce. They nod sleepily and stagger towards the door.

The rest of the flight is uneventful as we eat breakfast and move around to get our fill of each family member. My favourite thing though is to watch Christian interacting with the baby. He's talking with her, bouncing her around and rocking her to sleep. Our landing is bumpy and Teddy is holding on to my hand for dear life. Moods change once we're safely out the doors and excitement gets the better of everyone.

* * *

Phoebe and Teddy are chatting away with each other as we drive to the house. To an outsider we look like some important motorcade with the amount of SUVs we have heading in the same direction. To us though, this is how the Grey's travel. I'm so excited to see my mom. I haven't seen her or Bob since Phoebe's birthday in August and I miss her so much. The kids miss their Nanna Carla and Papaw Bob too.

Christian cannot open the doors fast enough as all the children come racing to the entrance. They get so excited over the Aspen house because they share a huge nursery. Ava thinks it's the biggest thrill to share a room and always have someone close to her age to play with. I chase after them so I can change them into their snow clothes for ski school.

I usher three half-dressed children down into the main living area just as my mom walks through the doors.

"Mommy!" I squeal and run towards her. I embrace her as tightly as I can and tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I can hear some laughing in the background but no one else in this family lives far away from their parents.

"Hey, baby girl," Mom coos and leans back to get a good look at me, "why are you crying, sweetie? Don't worry, mom's here now." She rubs my back until I calm some before letting go of me.

I understand my mom so much more now that I'm a mother too. I hate that I don't have her near me all the time but there's nothing I can do about it. Mom's not the biggest fan of skiing which gives us a lot of time to catch up. I notice the rooms gone quiet and I appreciate that I've been given some much needed privacy.

I feel her eyes roaming over my body and she places a hand on my belly. "Look how big you are now, honey! How far along are you?"

"Twenty weeks," I reply and place a hand on top of hers.

"Can we feel them yet?"

"Not yet, hopefully soon."

"I've decided I'm going to come to Seattle to stay for a while once they're born. You'll need your mommy in the first few weeks of having twins, and they'll need their nanna," she smiles at me.

"I'd like that," I respond through tears.

"Oh, honey. Why are you crying?"

"I'm sorry, Mom. It's just the hormones," I explain in a half sob/half laugh.

"It's alright, baby, I understand. Now where are those adorable grandbabies of mine?" She asks and I lead her through to the children.

"NANNA!" Teddy and Phoebe screech as they run to Mom. She crouches down and opens her arms to hug them.

"My babies! Teddy bear, you've grown so much! You really are your Daddy's copy," she compliments and Teddy blushes. I look to Christian who is beaming with pride. "And, Phoebe, you're the most gorgeous girl who has ever lived! Sorry, Ana," she quips turning to me.

"All good, Mom. I completely agree."

As Mom picks up Phoebe and sits her on her hip Teddy greets Bob.

"Hello, Papaw," he says as he hugs his legs and the rest of the family join us. Greetings are a plenty and I'm glad Ray can get along with Bob. There was a time when they were less than civil with each other but they both got over it for the good of their grandchildren. Grace offers to show them their room while we all continue to get settled and change into appropriate clothing for our activities.

The Aspen house has certainly changed since the first time I came. The rooms that used to have a clinical and modern feel are now decorated with children's toys and books. The white couches were swapped for a colour more durable and the rooms made to feel more open and inviting. I walk into our master suite and change into my snow clothes. I realise my pregnancy coat makes me look like a whale. I'm definitely not going to be parading myself around in public looking like this.

* * *

"So, Ana, how have things really been? Don't go lying to your momma," My mom inquires. I knew that once we were alone I would get a thorough questioning. I'd called her a few times on the verge of tears when Christian was struggling with his fears and she was so worried that she offered to visit. I politely declined since I knew we'd be seeing each other now.

"Truthfully?" Mom nods, "We had a hard time for a while there but it's getting better. Christian has been in therapy again and we've even had an appointment together. He's really worried and scared about caring for twins, but I think he's just overwhelmed."

"Everything's okay with the babies thought, right?"

"Yes, perfectly normal. We know what we're having now," I grin at her.

"Oh, do tell!"

"Nope," I say popping the p, "you'll all find out at Thanksgiving dinner."

"That is so not fair! A three day wait will be agony!"

"I'm sure you'll live," I scoff.

"Do you think Kate will mind if I hold her?" Mom asks regarding Eden. I've been placed on babysitting duty as Kate and Elliot wanted to go skiing. We're sitting by a large window in the main lodging area of the mountain so we can keep an eye out on ski school. I can see Teddy and Phoebe along with a bright purple Ava as they are guided along the snow with instructors. Everyone but Mom, Bob and Ray and I are out doing snow activities. Bob and Ray were sent out together for some 'bonding' at the demands of my mother.

"Of course not, Mom," I answer and pull her out of her stroller. She cuddles right up to Mom and falls back asleep.

"She's so pretty and looks exactly like Kate," she states as she stares at the babies face.

"Well you'd hope so, what girl would want to look like Elliot?"

"Oh, you're bad!"

"What? I only speak the truth," I chuckle. "Do you want to do anything specific while we're here, Mom?"

"Just spend as much as I can with you and the kids. Are they going to be skiing every day?"

"Probably, but they usually tire around mid-afternoon. I could book you into some spa treatments here if you'd like?"

"That'd be nice, honey. Thank you. I don't think I'll ever get used to you being all richie rich!"

"Trust me, I'm still not used to it after seven years. Sometimes I still feel like poor and dowdy college Ana."

Mom and I chat and laugh until we're approached by a lodge employee. I check the time to see it's nearly lunch time and I guess that Christian has something fancy set up.

"Are you Mrs Grey?" A panicked young boy asks me.

"Um, yes. Is something wrong?" I turn to him.

"You need to come with me, now."

"Not until you tell me why," I demand.

"Um, Mrs Grey. Just please come with me. It's urgent," he presses and I rise from my seat as quickly as I can. Mom already has Eden back in the buggy and is gathering our things.

"Can you please tell me what's going on? You're scaring me," I beg. He doesn't reply but gestures for us to follow him. I pull on my coat as we exit through the main doors and onto the snow plains. There is large grouping of adults near the ski school area and I can see a bunch of men running towards them. I start to panic and walk faster. I just know something has happened to one of ours.

"Anastasia, don't you dare run. You could easily fall," Mom scolds. I slow down and she catches up to me. My hand is forced onto the handlebar of the stroller and she holds it there to steady my pace. I feel like a child.

I can hear Christian yelling. Shit. It's one of ours. As we move closer I can hear wailing and I immediately know who it is. That's Teddy's 'I'm in pain' cry. In a room full of crying children I could pick that one out in less than a heartbeat. I push through the pack of people and see Teddy lying in the snow with tears streaming down his face. Christian is kneeling by his head trying to comfort him. I drop to my knees too and reach out to touch him.

"Don't touch him!" Christian snaps without looking at who he's talking to.

"Christian," he lifts his head and sees me. His face is contorted into a mixture of anger and worry. "What happened?"

"He fell while skiing. According to the staff his stupid fucking instructor didn't strap his feet in properly so something slipped and he fell. He put his arms out to break his fall so I think he's damaged them. His hit his head on the snow as well. That's all I know."

My breathing has picked up and I try to calm myself. "Teddy bear," I lean down and coo, "it's going to be okay. Mommy and Daddy are here now." I sit up again to address my husband. "Where's this instructor now?"

"Here, ma'am," a young man raises his arm as he pushes through the crowd.

"What else happened to him?"

"Um…what he said, ma'am. He fell and hit his head but I rolled him over…"

"YOU FUCKING MOVED MY SON?!" Christian screams as he stands up. "My son could have a fucking brain or spinal injury and you move him?! Do you not know basic first aid?! You're a fucking idiot! You can bet your ass you'll be fired you incompetent fucking fool!"

"I…I…I..don't know what to say," the instructor mumbles, taking a few steps backwards. Not knowing how to respond and looking scared.

"You don't know what to say?!" Christian stalks towards the man, looking like he's about to sock him in the face. Elliot and Ethan grab his arms to pull him back and he fails at fighting them off. "Fuck! Have you even apologised? You've ruined my son's holiday now. I am Christian fucking Grey and I will do everything in my power to make sure you pay for this!"

Christian turns back to us as the paramedics approach Teddy. They start examining him, causing more crying. I look around and see the terrified faces of our family. Phoebe is crying into her Uncle Ethan's shoulder, no doubt scared for her brother and scared of her father's outburst.

"Do you think I can touch his face or something? I know they said he hit his head but he needs comforting," I quietly ask the closest paramedic.

"Only lightly on his face, ma'am."

I use one finger to stroke Teddy's cheek and clean away his tears.

"It's going to be okay, baby boy. I know it hurts but it will stop soon. Mommy's here, baby, Mommy's going to make it all better," I softly coo to him. Tear filled, bright blue eyes stare back into mine as the medics tell him to keep still.

I hear Christian scream "Yeah, walk away you fucking coward! I'll deal with you later!" as a lodge manager escorts the instructor to the main building.

"We're going to put him on a stretcher so we can move him to the clinic and we'll see if we need to go to the hospital from there. Which parent will be riding with us?"

"Me! I'm going!" Christian yells.

I give Teddy a light kiss on the cheek before getting up and confronting my husband.

"You need to calm down, right now. We're both worried as shit right now but if you're going to be riding with him he can't see your stress. It will just scare him even more," I tell him and rub his chest. I know this calms him and soon his breathing becomes more regular.

"Okay, okay, we'll meet you there. I'll call you," he promises before leaving a chaste kiss on my lips and hopping on to the snow car. He sits next to Teddy and waves before the car drives off.

I feel arms wrap around me and I turn to collapse into my father's arms. The walls fall down and I start to sob as I feel other arms pat different parts of me. Phoebe is clinging to my legs and it takes the effort of my whole family to pull me towards the parking lot.

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**A/N: More Aspen/Thanksgiving chapters coming soon! I'm not sure how many chapters I'll dedicate to it yet but I hope you enjoy. Thanks for all the love again!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

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_Ana POV_

Hands are all over me as I'm lifted and buckled into a car. Words of comfort are surrounding me but I don't listen to them. All I want is to be my baby boy's side. Christian and I have a deal that in such an emergency, he would ride with our children in an ambulance. He does know all their insurance details off by heart I guess. Phoebe is glued to my side and I refuse to let go of her. Sawyer and other bodyguards are formulating a plan and splitting the rest of the family into groups. I want him to hurry up. I need to get to this damn clinic to find out how my son is doing. I bet if Taylor were here we'd be on our way already. No. I shouldn't think that of my friend, he's doing the best he can. I run my hand over Phoebe's curls and stare into familiar gray eyes. I don't even notice the doors slamming and the jerk forward as we drive off startles me.

"Ana, Christian called and said Teddy has been cleared of any head or spinal injuries so he won't be transferred to the hospital," Sawyer informs me and my body sags in relief. Now I just have to sit and stew over what has happened to the rest of him.

Our drive is short and silent. I can only hear my deep breathing and pounding heart. I continue to rhythmically stroke Phoebe's head as I watch the scenery pass by.

"Mommy?" Phoebe asks in a tiny voice, "I'm really hot."

I look down to see a very flushed little girl. I didn't realise that no one took off her snowsuit before getting into a highly heated car. My palm tests her forehead and it's overly warm. Crap. I already have one child receiving medical attention; I don't need the other one getting sick.

"Oh shit, baby girl," I exclaim as I rip off her beanie. I manoeuvre her body around the harness and wriggle her out of the puffy jacket, overalls and boots. She looks tiny sitting there in just thermals and a sweater.

"Mommy, you said a bad word!" She giggles.

"Oops!" I put my hand over my mouth and she laughs some more. "Don't tell Daddy!" I am rewarded with a full toothy grin at that remark. The innocence of children is a great distraction from what's really happening. As one part of my brain analyses every possible outcome of Teddy's fall, another part is trying it's hardest to not let this affect Phoebe.

We pull up at the large clinic building and I exit the car as fast as I can. I rush to Phoebe's door to let her out and I'm about to settle her on the ground until I take a good look at her feet. Tiny woollen socks will not bide well with snow and cold concrete.

"Sawyer! You need to carry Phoebe. She doesn't have shoes and I can't carry her myself," I explain, gesturing to my stomach.

"Of course, Ana." He settles her on his side and we walk through the automatic doors. The first room houses a large desk and waiting room. I can see my husband pacing near the corridor that leads to the private doctor's rooms. His head jolts to where we stand and he stalks over to me. I barely have time to register what's happening before his arms are around my waist and his head is nestled into my neck. His laboured breathing starts to slow as I rub his back.

"How is he?"

"They've taken him in for x-rays. They'll call us when it's done," he mumbles into the crook between my neck and shoulder.

"And there's nothing wrong with his head?"

"Nope. Not even a concussion, thank god."

We stay embraced for a few more seconds before Christian realises Sawyer standing next to me. "You can put her down, Sawyer. There's no need to carry her everywhere."

"Sir, she has no shoes," he tells him and Phoebe kicks her feet up into his face. Christian ducks out of the way and looks confused for a second. He regains his composure and takes Phoebe into his arms. She circles his neck with her tiny arms and he squeezes her tightly.

"Family of Theodore Grey?" a loud voice booms from the corridor. I turn to see a young, dark haired man dressed in a white coat.

Christian walks speedily over to him and I try to catch up. We follow the nameless doctor into a small room where Teddy lies in a bed. I immediately walk to him and place a lingering kiss on his forehead. His face is stained with tears and he looks terrified.

"Mr Grey," the young man nods towards Christian, "and I assume, Mrs Grey?" I nod in confirmation. "I'm Dr Horrell, and I've been treating your son since he came in. We have his x-ray results here and I'd like to discuss his treatment with you."

"Of course. Sit, Anastasia," Christian instructs as he pulls a chair up next to Teddy's bed. I obey knowing he needs to gain control over at least one situation. He places Phoebe in my lap and I hold her to me, clasping my hands on her waist so I'm not tempted to touch Teddy. Christian stands to my left, staring intently at the doctor.

"As you've already been told, Theodore here has no signs of head or spinal trauma which is a good sign. I commend you on buying him such a high quality helmet as it definitely did its job. His arms and legs are a different story," the doctor frowns as he places two x-rays on a light board. "As you said, his right foot was not strapped in properly to his ski, so it slipped and he fell. It seems his ankle rolled and he has a fracture in his lower fibula. It's a clean break but is minimally displaced so that will need to be fixed before casting. We're also worried that he's damaged the ligaments in his foot, but that will become more evident after the bone is healed."

Christian huffs out in frustration and runs two hands through his hair. No parent wants their child to suffer and this is only the beginning of the diagnosis.

"His other leg is fine, though," Dr Horrell reassures us. "Now, as Teddy put his arms out to break his fall, he's incurred some impact injuries. Most of his body weight fell onto his left arm. As you can see here," he points to what looks like the area near his wrist, "he has a double forearm fracture. He has complete fracture in his radius and a greenstick fracture in his ulna. We suspect he also has a broken thumb but the x-ray was inconclusive. These fractures are not displaced so we'll put a half cast on immediately. That means there is room for swelling, and in a few days he'll need to come back in for a real cast. There are no other evident injuries other than bruising. Do you have any questions?"

Christian approaches the doctor and it seems they are discussing it while he gets a good look at Teddy's bones. Christian is way better equipped at these kinds of conversations. I don't think I'd be able to ask much without breaking down again.

"Has he been given anything for the pain?"

"Not yet, we will administer some as we place his bone." I see Christian flinch but recover so Teddy doesn't notice.

"We'd like to fix this all up now so you can all get out of here quickly. Would you like to stay in the room?" The doctor asks.

"I can stay," Christian offers, "probably not a good idea to have Phoebe in the room…"

"Oh, right," I go to stand up until I realise Phoebe is still shoeless.

"Hey, little darling," Dr Horrell approaches Phoebe and she beams at the attention, "aren't you just the prettiest girl in the world?" Phoebe nods, _well she definitely didn't inherit my modesty_, and the doctor chuckles, "how about you put these on your little feet so you can walk with Mommy?" he asks and holds out some surgical slippers.

Phoebe is enamoured with her new 'slippy' shoes and we both give Teddy a kiss before leaving the room. As we walk down the hall I can hear Teddy's cries become louder and filled with pain. I can't walk fast enough to the waiting room. Grace, Mia and Ethan greet us with hugs and containers of food. I completely forgot about lunch and do not feel hungry at all but Phoebe is stuffing her face. Ethan and Mia take over duties of entertaining her while I anxiously wait for Christian and Teddy to emerge.

A little while later I see my husband pushing our broken boy towards us in a wheelchair. He has white bandages and casts on his arm and leg and a sling that make him look so small. His face is contorted in pain. The doctor hands over a bag to Christian who then walks straight past me without a glance. I see no emotion is his eyes, a sign that he had just dealt with an unbearable situation of watching his son cry in agony and that he's about to shut himself off from the world.

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**A/N: Hey all, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be published. I'm suffering from a gigantic case of writer's block, hence why this chapter is so short. I have no idea where the story is going right now and it was the biggest struggle just to get this written. Hopefully I can get some inspiration soon and write again. Don't hate me! I've never had it this bad before so if any of you have tips as to how to overcome it, let me know! Thank you for all the reviews etc. **

**Bel x.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

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_Christian POV_

I am watching the steady rise and fall of my son's chest. I've been sitting by his bed for about an hour and I can't find it in me to leave. I need to know he's okay, that he's not in any visible pain. I look to my watch and see that it's nearly three am. So I've actually been here for two hours watching my mini-me frown and whimper in his sleep. He's not due for more pain medication until four am, so there is nothing I can do. I have no control over this situation. I want to take all of his pain away. I would gladly have all his injuries transferred to me if it meant he could be happy and healthy.

I am in a constant state of anger. Whenever I think about what occurred this afternoon, I want to throw my fist through a wall. The ski school I send my children and niece to is supposed to be the most professional, safe and highly regarded company in Aspen. I did my research. I know my shit. The lodge manager told me this was 'just an accident,' yeah an accident my ass. How can you 'accidentally' strap one child's foot in wrong when all the others are fine? Tell me that you assholes. You can also tell that to your low-grade lawyers who don't stand a chance against mine.

My hands clench the undersides of my chair._ Breathe in. Breathe out. Calm down. You need to concentrate on Teddy_.

Teddy shifts a little and a heartbreaking grimace fills his face. What am I supposed to do? I want to wake him up and soothe his pain, but a pain killer overdose would not be ideal at all. God, why did this happen to us? To Teddy? He doesn't deserve this shit. What the fuck has he done in his life to warrant such pain and suffering? Ever since I saw that little blip on the ultrasound, and the rapid heartbeat of my unborn son, I've had this instinct to protect him. He's small, so small. He needs his Daddy to be there with him, protecting him from the monsters under the bed and kissing better his scraped knees. Never in my life did I think my children would be in such a state of injury.

I can't take this. No one in the family is dealing with this well. I held Ana as she sobbed into my chest until she fell asleep. I wanted to sit by my son all night until Dad told me my wife has been in a state of complete devastation all day. I hadn't really noticed and it made me feel like the biggest piece of shit on the planet. I was only thinking of myself and Teddy. I quietly summoned her into our room, apologised profusely and we cried together for a while. She told me she gets it. That she understands why I cut myself off from the family, but she doesn't agree with it. We'll need to talk about this again, but I just hope she doesn't hold it against me. I don't think she will. My Ana is too sweet for that. I kissed all my love into her before silently retreating to Teddy's makeshift room.

Phoebe cried when she saw Teddy all bandaged and bruised and offered to kiss his booboo's better. Ava helped too before Kate burst into tears and ran from Teddy's view. Mia and Ethan are helping the best they can, which I really do appreciate. Entertaining Phoebe is a hard task at the best of times. Ray, Carla and Bob all held it together at the beginning, but that all could have changed by now. Dad did his usual strong and silent routine and Mom pretended she was okay. I know better. I heard her crying into Dad's shoulder, distraught at seeing another curly, copper haired boy whimpering and crying in his sleep. This is different though. Teddy's future will not be compromised over this incident. He will get better and turn back into the sweet and playful little man I know he is. He is loved and cared for by so many. I gave my mom a hug when she had calmed a little. It shocked her, and we didn't speak, but we both know what it meant.

Plans for the rest of this trip have been arranging and rearranging themselves in my head for the past few hours. What do we do now? Does everyone else still want to ski? What about Phoebe? What about Ava? What will Teddy do? What CAN Teddy do? Who will take care of him? How will he move? How can I make sure everyone is enjoying their holiday? My brain is in overdrive.

I also need to sue the absolute fuck out of the lodge and its pitiful excuse for a teacher. I've pulled all Grey business from the establishment and moved on to its major competitor. We told them our story and apparently this isn't the first time it's happened. They must be rolling in cash if they've managed to hide all traces of their shitty quality activities. Dad has already called his firm, and Sawyer called the GEH legal team as soon as we found out we have a substantial case on our hands. Those fuckers should be preparing to go down. No amount of money will shut me up. I want them to suffer and I also want to save anyone else from going through this torment.

Doctor's always talk about the seven stages of grief after the death of a loved one. I obviously haven't gone through that, but I have gone through what I like to call 'the four stages of dealing with an injured child.' Denial, rage, regret and sadness, and I've moved through them all in a matter of hours.

Denial. When I was summoned to the ski school after being told my child was in trouble, I tried my hardest to convince myself it wasn't one of mine. They got it mixed up. It's probably some kid who looks like one of mine. Or who has the same coloured snow suit. Nope, can't be Teddy or Phoebe, I pay too much fucking money for their protection for it to be them. Unfortunately, I was wrong, which brings me to the next stage.

Rage. Anger. Fury. Who the fuck did this? What imbecile let this happen? My son is six fucking years old and is crying in pain on a bed of snow. I can't even begin to articulate my anger. There are no words. Just the overwhelming urge to break the arms and legs of all those involved so they can see how it feels.

Regret. Why wasn't I there? Why didn't I supervise? Or at least check they were safely strapped in to their skis? Why did I leave my pregnant wife with the responsibility of watching them and babysit a seven month old? I should have been there. This would not have happened if I had been there.

Sadness. Seeing Teddy in pain rips my soul in two. In four. In ten. I can't bear to see him cry and beg me to make it stop. I know he will be immobilised completely for at least a week, and then will have limited movement for another five or six. I'll have to watch him struggle in therapy to gain back strength in his underused muscles. Nothing makes me sadder than knowing I can't ease the pain of someone I love so dearly.

I bite my bottom lip hard to stifle the sob in my chest. I was never a crying man. All of this started when I met Ana and had children. I have turned into such a softy.

"Daddy?" Teddy's sleep filled voice asks.

"Hey, Teddy Bear. I'm here, buddy. I'm here," I comfort him and sweep his hair from this forehead.

"Daddy, it hurts." I can hear tears in his voice. I just know there are stains running down his cheeks.

"Mmm," I nod, trying to hold back my emotions, "I know it does, Bear, but Daddy can't make it go away just yet. We gotta wait a little more. Try and go back to sleep."

"I can't, Daddy. It hurts too bad," he wails.

"I'm sorry this has happened to you, Bear. I wish I could make it go away. I wish it was Daddy who was hurt so you'd be okay." I keep stroking his hair like Ana does. She says it calms him down.

"I'd look after you, Daddy, and kiss all your hurts better."

"I know you would, Bear. You're the best son anyone could ever ask for."

"Can I sleep on your chest, Daddy?" He asks with puppy dog eyes.

"It would hurt you too much, buddy."

"But it's the only way I can sleep."

"I know, I really am sorry. How about I sleep next to you?"

"Mmmkay," he mumbles. I know the drugs haven't fully worn off and are causing him to be drowsy.

I carefully manoeuvre myself next to him without jostling the bed too much. I cuddle right up to his left side and realise he's fallen back asleep. "Goodnight, my bear. I love you so much," I whisper as I kiss his forehead.

* * *

I wake in a cold and empty bed. Where is Teddy? I rub the sleep out of my eyes as I stumble out of the room. The clock on the wall reads just after noon. How have I been asleep for so long? I know I was up all night, but I can usually function on hardly any sleep.

I walk to our main lounge area where it seems everyone is eating lunch. Teddy has a couch to himself, while the rest of the family are seated nearby giving him their undivided attention. He is lapping it up. Being the first baby and grandchild, he had every single person's attention for nearly two years before Ava and Phoebe were born. He hasn't got the attention seeking gene like Phoebe, but he'll take what he can get. I watch as he calls certain people over to wait on him hand and foot.

"Christian, darling, good uh I guess it's good afternoon!" My mother calls to me.

"Good afternoon, Mother," I reply as I walk over to Teddy. "Hey, Bear, how are you feeling?" I lean and kiss him on the head.

"I'm 'kay, Dad," he dismisses me and resumes his conversation about football with Ethan. I guess I'm not needed right now. I give Phoebe her 'hello' kisses but she hardly notices as she plays with Ava. The room is absent of Ana which is worrying. I missed our usual morning routine and I need my wife more than ever.

"Has anyone seen my wife?" I ask the whole room.

I am answered with each person's knowledge of where Ana is. "Front lounge," "couch," "she left you," and "napping" are what I catch before walking out the door. I ignore Elliot's idiotic response and make my way to the formal lounge area. My beautiful wife is laying on a couch with one arm over her eyes and the other resting on her bump. She looks young and worriless. What am I saying? She always looks young. She has hardly aged since I met her and outsiders are always shocked to see that our eldest child is six. They probably think she was a teenaged mom or something. I feel bad for waking her but she needs to eat.

"Good afternoon, my babies," I greet Ana's belly before kissing her lips, "good afternoon, wife."

Ana stirs and blinks a few times. I can tell she's trying to focus her vision on the person in front of her.

"Mmm, hello. I haven't seen you in ages, I missed you," she admits and leans towards me for another kiss. I relent and slip my tongue into her mouth. The only sounds are contented little moans from Ana. Shit, I really did miss my wife.

"I missed you too, baby. Why didn't you wake me?"

"I knew you were up with Teddy most of the night, you looked exhausted."

Then I realise that Ana has been asleep. She hardly ever sleeps in the day, and never this early. Oh fuck. I probably affected her sleeping by not being in bed with her. We both have some weird problem where we only sleep well in the other's arms. It's just another thing that solidifies our love and need to be with each other.

"Care to explain the napping situation?" I ask as the back of my hand runs down her cheek.

"Uh, just tired…"

"Anastasia," I scold in my best mix of CEO and dad voice.

"Jeez, okay. I couldn't sleep without you. I didn't want to tell you since I know you needed to be with Teddy and I don't want you to feel bad. I feel great now, though."

I married the perfect woman.

"I am sorry, but I'm thankful you understand. I'll be back in our bed tonight," I grin salaciously at her.

After one last kiss I help her up and we grab our lunch before returning to the rest of the family. It seems they've all made plans to go out for the rest of the day. Everyone is going shopping for food and such for Thanksgiving Day. Our usual housekeepers spend this holiday with their children, leaving the upkeep of the house and meal responsibilities to the family. Our children learn about cleaning up after themselves on their holidays, kind of the opposite to normal children. I don't want anyone leaving my sight until we get back to Seattle, but I know that can't happen. I give Ana and Phoebe tons of kisses and tell them to behave themselves. Once everyone has left I join Teddy on the couch for some much needed father and son time.

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**A/N: Thanks for all the help and tips! I've taken it all on board! Hope this chapter satisfies. I've hit over 60,000 views which is insane in my mind, so thank you for that, the love and reviews too! **


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: I'm so sorry about the intermittent updating! I have had the busiest week and weekend and there was no time to write! Thanks for all the love again and a special shout out to SusieCC who gave the best advice for writers block! I'm hoping to write more but my birthday is coming up so I'm run off my feet. I know this is short but I hope it will suffice.**

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_Christian POV_

Oof. I'm in that state of half wakefulness. I disregard the blow to my back and shut my eyes again. From the light in the room I know its morning, but it's probably still quite early. I want to get at least another hour of sleep in before Thanksgiving Day duties are upon us. I feel restless and turn over to face my wife. These past couple of nights our usual bonding in sleep has stopped due to my tossing and turning with worry over Teddy. I can tell Ana's still in a deep sleep and she looks absolutely gorgeous. I snuggle in closer so her belly is touching mine and shut my eyes again. I listen to her rhythmic deep breathing as if it's my own personal lullaby.

Oof. Seriously, Ana. I'm trying to sleep. She's hit me in the stomach this time. I look at the clock on the wall and it's only around 8:30am. Still too fucking early for this holiday. I look back to Ana and see she hasn't moved at all. I feel something hit my stomach again and immediately realise what's going on. One of the babies is kicking right where Ana and my stomachs are touching. Ana must be so exhausted if the feeling isn't waking her.

"Ana, baby! Wake up!" I lightly shake her shoulder.

"Mmmm, what…OH!" Realisation hits her as either Oliver or Imogen give another little kick. "Oh my god, Christian!" She grabs my hand and places it on another part of her belly.

"I know, baby, I know," I say with tears of happiness brimming in my eyes, "it woke me up," I add with a little laugh.

We lay there, staring into each other's eyes as we feel for the intermittent kicks from our twins. I have a goofy smile plastered across my face as I feel another light movement. I move Ana to sit against our headboard and shuffle down until my face is level with her bump and I place my hands on either side.

"Hello, Oliver and Imogen, I'm your Daddy," someone kicks my hand and I choke out a sob, "I love you guys so much, and I can't wait to meet you." I look to Ana who is smiling softly at me, "Mommy loves you both very much too."

I start rambling to her belly about our family and mindless details of our lives. I think my voice has made them extremely active so I decide this is the best time to wake Teddy and Phoebe to feel them moving.

I all but run to where Teddy is and carefully carry him to our room. I order him and Ana to stay as I run and get Phoebe. She isn't exactly happy about being woken up but after a few cuddles and kisses she perks up.

I sit right next to Ana's belly with Phoebe on my lap and Teddy on his mother's other side.

"Mommy and I have the best Thanksgiving present for you both," I start. Both sets of eyes widen at the word 'presents,' and it makes me laugh. "So you know how Mommy has babies in her belly?"

"Yeah! Two of dem!" Phoebe announces holding up two fingers. My smart girl.

I am already so animated that I don't need to fake any sort of amazement.

"Yeah, two! You guys are getting a little brother AND a little sister!"

"A little brother?" Teddy asks with a smile.

"Yeah, buddy. Are you happy?"

"I can share my trains with him!"

"You sure can! You're gonna be such a good big brother," I say and ruffle his hair. I'm given a shy smile that only my Teddy can pull off.

"And you know what? When the babies in Mommy's tummy get big enough you can feel them moving inside of her." Teddy and Phoebe both look shocked. I'm not really surprised. Teddy won't be able to remember Ana's pregnancy with Phoebe and they've probably forgotten about Kate's.

"The babies got big enough today, so you can feel them kick. Do you want to feel?"

They both nod. As if practiced, Ana grabs Teddy's good hand and presses it to her side, while I do the same with Phoebe.

"Woah, Mommy! I think I felt it!" Teddy yells.

"Yeah, baby? I think you did too." She grins at Teddy, still teary with emotion.

"Why are you crying, Mommy?" Teddy asks.

"Oh baby boy," she coos while brushing back his hair, "I'm crying happy tears. I'm just so glad I can feel your little brother and sister move and that you felt it too."

Teddy accepts her explanation and rests his ear against her swollen belly. He probably thinks he will hear something but I'm more worried he'll cop a kick to the head.

"Ah!" Phoebe screams.

"What, Phe?"

"Something touch me!" She recoils her hand looking scared. I gently take it again and put it back.

"Don't be scared, baby girl, that's just your brother or sister saying hello," I reassure her.

Every time she feels something, I see her wince, but after a while she gets used to it. We sit together as a family cuddling and talking once the babies slow their movements. There is no quarrelling between siblings; just us all curled up under the covers swathed in love. I steal kisses from Ana, and for once, there are no calls of 'ew!' from my children.

"Daddy?" I hear Teddy's soft voice ask.

"Yeah, little man?"

"What are they gonna be called?"

"Do you mean what we're going to name the babies?"

"Yeah. Cos you know I'm called Teddy and Phoebe is called Phoebe."

I look to Ana, who has been uncommonly quiet and she nods slightly. She's distracted by running her fingers through Phoebe's brown curls in this rare moment of calm.

"Well, your little brother is named Oliver, and you little sister is named Imogen."

"Olivah and Immogen?" Phoebe asks?"

"Yes, do you like them?"

"I think they're cool, Daddy. Hello Oliver and Imogen," Teddy says as he pats his Mom's stomach.

I think Ana is about to burst into hysterical sobs until we hear Phoebe say, "I want food now!"

Well, I guess our sweet family moment is over for this morning.

* * *

The whole family is gathered around the large dining table as a Thanksgiving feast is spread out before us. My hand is intertwined with Ana's as it has been all day, and I can feel the love radiating off us. Or, maybe it's love and pheromones. We've hardly been able to keep our hands and mouths off each other all day. I'm truly thankful for Ray and Bob who offered to look after Ted and Phe while Ana and I indulged in a few rounds of fucking amazing sex.

We've done our usual speeches of what we're thankful for. The main points being our growing family and good health.

Dad is about the start carving the turkey when I clear my throat. All eyes are on me as I look to Ana and grin.

"We both have an announcement…" I start.

"You're having triplets!" Elliot yells. What an ass.

"No, brother, but thank you for the interruption. Actually we'd like to tell you some more about our babies."

"Oh my god, you're going to tell us what they are!" Carla exclaims in a moment that is not so common for a woman of her age. Kate and Mia are barely holding back squeals and Ava is laughing at her mother's antics.

"Yes, we are." I squeeze Ana's hand. "Would you like to do the honours?" I ask her.

"We're having a girl…" all the women squeal and bounce in their seats in suspense, "and a boy!"

Everyone jumps up and starts congratulating us. I can see some disappointment on Elliot's face but he quickly covers it and hugs Ana and me. I tell him we'll talk later and he gives a slight nod.

"As ecstatic as I am, can we postpone the congratulating? This food is getting cold," Dad announces.

We apologise and sit back down to enjoy our meal. I help cut up Teddy's food and help feed him some. He's still getting used to the one handed eating like we've practicing these last couple of days.

I hear Mia bring up the babies and a little girl's voice yells "OLIVER AND IMOGEN!" All heads turn to my attention seeking Phoebe.

"What did you say, my darling?" Mom asks.

"Oliverrrr and Immogen!" Phoebe repeats and points to Ana's stomach. Eyes widen around the table as they figure out what she means. We probably should have told her that was a secret.

"Oh darling, they are wonderful names!" Carla gushes and everyone else joins in. I'm definitely putting this down as one of the best Thanksgivings in my life.

* * *

I clutch Teddy against my chest as I walk through the threshold of the Aspen house. After a marathon week of family outings, it's time to go home. Standing next to me is Ethan with Phoebe and Elliot with Ava and Eden.

"Say goodbye to the Aspen house."

A chorus of "byes," hit my ears as little hands wave. Ava is even helping Eden shake her little hand.

We pile into our cars and drive to the air strip. Once we've boarded I take a seat next to my Teddy.

"Daddy?"

"Mmmm."

"Thank you for taking care of me and taking me places," Teddy says. For most of the week I took my family on a multitude of different adventures instead of us going skiing. Nearly everyone tagged along as they felt bad for flaunting their ability to ski in front of an incapacitated Ted. From shopping, to movies, the kids club and a trip to the zoo, I made sure Teddy was enjoying his holiday.

"It was my pleasure, that's what a Daddy does," I reply and buckle him in.

"I like having a Daddy," Teddy says with a yawn.

"And I like being a Daddy."

"Good," is all I get before my little man ventures into dream land.

* * *

**A/N2: I've been having ideas for another story. It'd be AU but I'm not sure if I should write it. If anyone wants to help out, review or PM as I'd like to have someone to talk to about it etc.!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! I appreciate all your reviews etc. so much! Hope you enjoy this chapter and my AU story is up as "A Bump in the Road" so check it out if you want to (shameless plug).**

* * *

_Ana POV_

In the two weeks since Thanksgiving quite a bit has happened in the Grey family.

Teddy was fitted with fiberglass casts. One is red and the other blue. We've all signed it for him, as well as Gail, Taylor and Sawyer. He has another four weeks before they come off and I can tell he is already antsy. He can't walk and can't use crutches, so Christian hired him a tutor for home-schooling. My normally extremely sweet boy has become angry and easily irritable. It doesn't help that he can't storm out of a room in anger so he has started punching. You'd think we would be dealing with a hormonal teenager, not a six year old.

I've already taken leave from work. With the stress of twins and looking after Teddy, I found there was no time to work, and if I did want to work, I'd fall asleep as soon as I started. Christian was surprised at my request but obviously over the moon. He's been trying to get me to quit work completely but I can't go through with it. I need to know something is there for me when my kids grow up. Unfortunately, I think Christian wishes me to be a baby making machine until I hit menopause if it means I don't go to work.

Gail and I are chatting in the living area as we wait for Phoebe to arrive home and for Teddy to finish his home schooling. His teacher, Everett Walker, is struggling with the Friday afternoon restlessness of my son. I can hear him trying to convince Teddy to finish his math worksheet.

"Teddy, you need to finish this before we break for the weekend," Walker tells him sternly.

"No! I don't get it!" Teddy shouts back.

"Teddy, do not yell at me. I will revoke your privileges. I will help you if you need me to, but you have to ask nicely." I can tell in his voice that Walker is becoming agitated.

"NO! I can't! I wanna go! Mommy!" Teddy screams. He sounds like he's agony, but this has happened before and I've been told not to respond. The first week I catered to his every need, and Christian and Walker said I was spoiling him too much.

"MOMMY!" He keeps screaming. I must look like I'm going to get up because Gail rests an arm on mine.

"No, Ana," she says softly.

"Mommy! Please!" I can hear him sobbing now. "Help me!"

Walker is shushing him and trying to calm him down. It hasn't been this bad before. I can't just let him sit in there and cry. I ignore the protests from Gail and heave myself off the couch.

As I enter the dining room is see Teddy slumped over on the table sobbing his little heart out. I wrap my arms around him and rub his back.

"Shush, baby, it's okay. Mommy's here," I throw an apologetic look towards Walker who looks a bit angry.

"Mo-mo-mommy, I can't do it," he cries into the wood. I sit down in the chair next to his and pull him onto my lap. I drag his worksheet and pencil to me and try to coax him into finishing. I know Walker will not let him off until it's done.

"Teddy bear, you need to get this done okay? I can help you if you want." He nods at me and I try to figure out what he's doing. I want to help him, but not do the work for him. He's a smart kid and probably knows exactly what to do, but he's stressed and sad that he can't be at school.

With the help of Walker we are flying through his work until a booming voice comes from the doorway.

"Anastasia, I need to speak with you," Christian demands. He looks angry. Why the hell is he home? I know it's Friday, but he is never home this early.

I nod and try to pass Teddy over to Walker but he grabs around my neck.

"No, Mommy! Stay! I need you," he pleads.

"I'll be back in a minute, sweetie, I just need to talk to Dad," I reassure him as I stand.

I waddle over to Christian who doesn't even give me a hug or a kiss. He just grabs my hand and drags me out of the room.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Why are you home so early?" I try to distract him.

"No, Ana. That does not answer my question, what were you doing in there?" He persists.

"I was helping our son with his school work as he got very worked up and emotional…"

"Ana, I hired Walker to teach our son, not you. We already talked about you babying him too much. He needs to learn how to soothe himself and do things alone."

This makes me so angry. What gives him the right to judge me? He doesn't sit here every day listening to his son cry about not being like everyone else.

"What the hell do you expect me to do when he's sitting in there screaming for me?!" I explode at him, "I can't sit out here and pretend he's not going through some sort of pain. He needed me and I helped him, it's what a mother does!"

"Ana, he does it since he knows he will get your attention. If you don't stop it'll turn him into a spoiled little boy."

"Christian! He has one working arm and leg and he can't walk or move by himself, so I think he has some sort of disadvantage here. The only person around him all day is Walker, he misses his friends and teachers. He's going through a lot right now! And don't lecture me about spoiling children when you agree to Miss Phoebe's every whim!" I can't stop yelling at my husband. His cold and closed off eyes just make me angrier.

At that moment of us glaring at each other, Phoebe runs in. She dumps her backpack on the floor and runs into her father legs.

"Daddy!" She lifts her arms to be held but he doesn't comply. He's probably trying to make a point of not agreeing to her wishes. "Daddy!" She repeats but in an angrier tone.

"Phoebe, please take your bag to your room and play with some toys for a while," Christian orders as he still stares at me.

"Daaaadddy!" Phoebe whines pulling at his trouser pants. I can tell she's hurt from being rejected and her eyes fill with tears. She may have the stubbornness and arrogance of her father, but she inherited the easily damaged emotion gene from me.

He pries her hands off his pants and leans to her level, "Phoebe Grace, now!"

Her chin wobbles and she runs off to her room crying. Not another one. One woman can only handle a certain number of crying children per day, and I think I had my fill for the week three hours into last Monday.

"Anastasia, I will do what I see fit for Teddy. He cannot go to school in his condition, and he needs to keep on track. Sure he misses his friends, but that's life. I've had enough of this arguing about it. Stop fucking going in there to cuddle him and we will move on from this shit!"

"What you see fit? What about what _we_ see fit? He is my child too, you know!"

"Oh god, not this shit again, we did agree to this! You're the one breaking down all the time!"

"Why are you being so cold? Do you not care about his feelings? He's just a boy!"

Christian growls at me, seething in anger.

"Don't you fucking dare question how much I care about him! I'm being, as you say cold, because I'm sick of coming home every fucking night to a crying son who doesn't let me anywhere near my wife! He needs to learn independence."

I see Walker carry Teddy from the dining room and hopefully into another room where the doors shut and he won't hear this.

"You are giving me mixed messages, you realise? You come home and cuddle Teddy, get angry at me for babying him, I seek comfort from him, and then you're angry we don't have sex? Is that it?!"

"Ana, we haven't had sex the entire week because of this! You spend all your time with Teddy. I'm frustrated in many ways right now," he growls.

"This is your son we're talking about, and you're worried about our sex life? What has gotten into you, Christian?"

"What's gotten into me? What about you? You act all loving then ignore me! These fucking baby hormones are driving me nuts!"

"Oh, well sorrrrry for carrying your spawn! The ones you wanted!" I yell back. I'm getting so angry and worked up. My heart is pounding and my hands are shaking.

"Didn't I just tell you not to doubt my care for Teddy? Well that includes those babies too! I'm just sick of your shit right now, Ana!"

I don't know where this has come from. I thought we were doing okay. Yeah, we're stressed out, but this is one of the worst fights we've ever had. His changes in emotions are giving me whiplash and I don't know how to react. I didn't think I was being a shitty wife, but obviously I'm wrong. I know I have a husband, but I also have two children. I only have a certain number of hours in the day to tend to everyone. I thought we'd moved on from all this fighting. We were better. He has been so sweet and calm. I start to panic. What has changed? What am I doing to my family? My husband? Why can't I seem to do anything right? Why is Christian always yelling at me?

I stumble backwards into the dining room and flop down into a chair. I start breathing heavily, like I can't get enough air. Christian just stands and glares at me with his arms crossed. I hold onto the table for dear life as I continue to pant. Just before my brain fogs over I realise how bad this is for my babies. They need air too. I look a Christian with panic set, wide eyes. I hope he catches on. I need him. Help me, Christian.

I keep taking in short breaths, my lungs feel empty and my head is aching.

"Shit, Ana!" Christian says as he runs to me and I throw up on his Armani leather shoes.


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Thanks for the love from the last chapter. Sorry for the delay, life had crazy plans for me this week! Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!**

* * *

_Ana POV_

I heave until my stomach is empty and then some. I can feel Christian's overly warm hands on my forehead and swipe my own to push them off. I feel way too hot to have someone so close to me. He tries to fight back but eventually realises I do not want his hands all over me. I can feel the sweat leaking from my pores and I just want to lie down.

"Ana, baby, are you okay? What's going on?!" Christian is asking frantically and loudly. _Shut up, you're being too loud. _My head is pounding like someone just punched me in the temple.

I don't respond to him and it just makes him yell louder. It feels like my senses have been heightened even more than they were. I can hear everything going on around me and the smell from my own vomit is overwhelming. I breathe heavily through my mouth to prevent another reappearance of my stomach contents.

I keep trying to wave Christian away from me but he is not getting the message. Footsteps are thundering down the hallway and I can hear the doors burst open.

"What's going on in…? Crap, Ana, are you okay?" I hear Sawyer ask as he approaches me. I shake my head no.

I hear Taylor start talking to Christian who can't give him any answers about what happened other than the evidence on his shoes.

Someone hands me tissues and a glass of water but I don't look them in the eye. I am so embarrassed.

Sawyer crouches in front of me. I guess Christian moved. I can hear him and Taylor having a heated conversation.

"Would you like to lay down upstairs?" He asks me softly and I say yes. "Can you walk? Or would you like me to carry you?"

"I don't think I can walk…" I murmur softly.

Sawyer gently hoists me into his arms and all I hope is that he uses a route that misses the children. I don't want them to see me like this.

"Like hell you're going to carry my wife!" Christian booms and approaches us. Taylor grabs his arm and holds him back.

"Christian, stop! What were we just speaking about?! You're not in any condition to be walking through the house anyway," he gestures at Christian's shoes.

Christian grunts angrily as Sawyer carries me upstairs to the master bedroom. He sets me down and I curl up under the sheets. Sawyer crouches next to the bed, worry etched all over his face.

"Do you need anything? Are you going to be sick again?" I shake my head no again and he takes my silence as a cue to leave.

I know I need to keep myself calm but I can't help but think about Christian. Why was he so angry? I have never seen him act like this. He is being so cold about this entire situation. He was so caring and attentive in Aspen, but as soon as he returned to work it all changed. I just want everything to be back to normal again. I was so looking forward to a relaxing weekend with just my little family. We've spent so much time with our extended family lately that I just want some time with us four. There's a light knocking at the door, probably Phoebe, but muffled voices convince her to leave.

* * *

_Christian POV_

Fuck.

I have yet again blown my gasket at my wife. You'd think I would have learned by now not to do this to her, but apparently not. Life has not been going swimmingly lately, and this was the last straw. Ana and I agreed on a plan of action for Teddy, and nearly every night I come home to her breaking her own rules.

Work has been stressful as fuck. I'm on the brink of losing a multi-million dollar deal that will put thousands out of work. I can't lose. I never lose. All I want to do after spending hours with useless assholes is to come home to cuddles from my children and kisses from my wife. They remind me why I work this hard and why I deal with such idiots.

The past week I've been coming home to a constantly whinging six year old, an attention seeking four year old and a wife who ignores me most of the time. Sure, I get welcome home and goodnight kisses, but she doesn't even let me cuddle with her on the couch. That right is reserved for Sir Theodore who cries when he's away from Mommy. Phoebe will sit with me, but obviously it's not the same. I had no idea these injuries would change my boy so much.

Now I've made my wife sick from yelling at her and being a downright shit husband. Ana is pregnant for god's sake, and I still can't control my temper.

I was so angry that I couldn't even see what I was doing. I could only see red. I didn't even notice my rage was affecting Ana until she practically fell into a chair and threw up on me. I only realised that I'd given her a panic attack when Taylor told me. He ordered Sawyer to take Ana upstairs and gave me a mouth full. I thought he was going to sock me one. He probably wants to.

I want to comfort her and apologise but Taylor is forbidding me. Gail took my shoes and pelted some clean clothes at me that I've put on now I've showered.

I seem to have angered my entire staff, which is no surprise. I am ashamed at my behaviour. I'm glad my children didn't witness our fight, but they know something is wrong with Mommy. All I seem to be doing these days is apologising.

I grab my cell to call my mom. She should probably check over Ana just in case.

"Mom," I say as soon as the phone is answered, not letting her talk.

"Christian? What's going on?"

"Can you please come to the house? I need you to check on Ana."

"What's happened, Christian? Is she sick?" I can hear the worry in her voice and my dad's questions in the background.

"She had a panic attack I think. Please come over," I beg.

"Why the hell is she having panic attacks?"

"Uh."

"You tell me now, Christian!" She demands.

"We got in a fight and I yelled at her and yeah…" I practically whisper. I can hear my mother's furious breathing.

"I'll come over now to check on her, and then I'll deal with you." She hangs up and I stare at the phone. I am back in Grace Trevelyan's bad books and it's not a fun place to be.

* * *

Mom is sitting with Ana, who is still asleep, and I've been barred from my own bedroom. Mom didn't even greet me when she arrived. Not a great sign.

I go to find Phoebe, who is pushing around a toy pram with her baby doll in it.

"Pheebs? Do you want to come with Daddy and draw some pictures for Mommy?" I ask as I crouch down next to her.

"No," she replies as she adamantly shakes her head.

"Oh, why not?"

"Because you were shouty and now I'm not allowed to see Mommy."

"I'm sorry, baby girl. Daddy is silly sometimes. Should we draw some pictures to make Mommy feel better? I think she would like that."

She nods and takes my hand. We find Teddy lying on the couch and I convince him to draw with us too.

We're seated at the tiny kids table in the den and I'm spilling out of my chair. I may as well be sitting on the floor but Phoebe said its bad manners. She is turning into a miniature version of her mother about those types of things. The table is covered with paper, pencils and crayons in every colour you could imagine as we draw pictures for Ana.

I try and sneak a peek at what Ted and Phoebe are drawing, but they cover their paper with their arms. It really doesn't do much, but I respect their wishes and concentrate on my own picture.

I'm drawing a picture of Ana and me on our honeymoon. It's actually a copy from a real photo, but it's the most romantic one I can think of that I can maybe recreate. It was taken at arm's length as we're lying on a bed. Post-coital and glowing, we look so young and happy. I have the framed photo propped up next to me, but my version is pitiful in comparison. I am definitely not artistic. At least I tried.

Teddy is struggling to draw with one arm, but he is using his cast as a paperweight. His tongue is poking out between his lips as he concentrates on his colourful drawing.

"What are you drawing, Teddy?" I ask in my 'kiddie tone.'

"Umm," he furrows his brow, "I'm drawing me and you and Phoebe and Mommy on the boat."

"Are you going to write something to her as well?"

"Yep."

Okay, well that conversation is over. I can't tell if he's just immersed in his work or if he doesn't want to talk to me.

"What about you, Phoebe? What are you drawing?"

"All of us in the big bed."

I look over and see a drawing of four stick figures and two blobs in ranging colours with crazy hair. Ah, children's art. I'm not surprised by her ideas, my offices at home and Grey House are filled with Teddy and Phoebe's special drawings.

Mom pops her head into the open doorway and I know she's going to chew my head off.

"Christian, can I speak with you a moment?"

I sigh heavily and struggle out of my too small seat. Phoebe giggles at me and I shoot her a playful glare.

"We need to stay near the door, so I can watch them," I inform my mother. She glares at me. It's true that I need to keep an eye out on them, but I also don't want to be yelled at again.

"Christian Trevelyan-Grey, I don't know what I'm going to do with you. How many times do I have to tell you that yelling at Ana is not going to do any good? She is pregnant and cannot deal with this much stress. She gave me a rundown of what happened, and it seems like another case of you not communicating properly. I have told you time and time again to just speak with Ana about your issues and worries, not yell at her about it. The only reason I'm not screaming at you right now is because those little darlings do not deserve to see or hear that. I'm getting sick of repeating myself. Your anger will only push your family away. Go back and see Flynn if you have to, just sort yourself out before you do lasting damage."

I run both my hands through my hair and stare at the floor. She's right, of course. She's always right. After seven years of marriage, Ana deserves to have a husband that doesn't blow his cap every bloody week. Things need to change. I've been seeing Flynn about my parenting fears, but it's time to bring up my anger issues.

"Now don't stress too much. Ana had a panic attack but everything seems to be fine. She's rested and is awake now. She has eaten some soup and bread. I want you to go in there and not only apologise, but promise her you'll seek help and not let this happen again, okay?"

I nod.

"Now, come here," She pulls me into a tight hug and I reciprocate, "I do love you Christian, and even though you're a hot shot CEO, you do need guidance sometimes. I'm going to go home now so you can all spend some time together." She kisses me on the cheek and releases me to say a quick goodbye to Teddy and Phoebe before leaving.

* * *

"Pheebs, could you knock on the door?" I ask my unusually quiet little girl. I think someone is suffering mommy deprivation.

She softly knocks the semi-open door and we hear Ana ask us to enter. Phoebe breaks my hold on her hand and runs to the bed.

"Mommy, we drew pictures to make you feel better!" Phoebe exclaims as I walk to the bed carrying Teddy and lie him down next to his mother.

"Really? Can I see them?" Ana asks smiling. She is doting on the children but hasn't even acknowledged my presence.

I sit next to Teddy who's taking up the middle of the bed and watch while he and Phoebe hand over their papers.

"Is this us and the babies all cuddling in the bed?" Ana asks and Phoebe nods, snuggling into her mother's side. "Thank you so much, baby girl. It's beautiful. Just a few more months and they'll be here for real," Ana tells her and rubs her belly. Phoebe grins at her and kisses Ana.

"Mommy! Look at mine!" Teddy pipes up.

Ana laughs and examines his drawing closely. Teddy starts pointing out each person and naming them. "See that's me and Daddy fishing, and Pheebs playing with her dolly and you sitting down and reading a book!"

"Teddy! Does my stomach really look that big?!" Ana playfully admonishes. Her baby belly in the picture is massive, taking up most of her body. Teddy starts laughing uncontrollably and Ana tickles his sides. "Cheeky boy!"

"Did it make you better, Mama?" Phoebe asks softly.

"Sure did, baby. Thanks, you guys. You always know how to make me smile." Ana kisses and thanks them again before Phoebe remembers I was drawing with them.

"Daddy drew something for you, too!"

"Did he?" Ana stares into my eyes, I smile at her and her gaze softens. I lift up Teddy and sit him in my lap so I can sit next to my wife. I pass her my folded drawing and she slowly opens it.

A smile starts forming in the corners of her lips as she recognises the picture. The colours are off and our faces look a little different, but the angle and pose is the same. Teddy and Phoebe both lean closer to check it out.

"Daddy, you really can't draw," Teddy observes.

"Thanks, buddy," I reply, a little downtrodden.

"It's the thought that counts," Ana tells me lovingly, and I give her a chaste kiss on the lips. I don't think she's forgiven me, but is craving some support and love right now. Both of which I'm happy to give.

"Turn it over," I whisper and she does. Tears form in her eyes as she reads my note.

_I love you.  
I need you.  
You are my life, my everything.  
I could not live a millisecond without you.  
Forgive me?  
Your Christian._


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Sorry for the late update! I hope you all have had a wonderful week. I was quite sick over Christmas so today has been the only real day I've felt human. I'll try and update my other story ASAP for those who read it. Thanks for all the love again and here's some Christmas fluff!**

* * *

_Ana POV_

Christmas season in the Grey house is a big deal. The house is covered in decorations and the smell of cookies wafts around constantly, as if Gail is a never ending cookie baking machine. Teddy and Phoebe come home from school with their homemade tree ornaments and Christian and I have been busy picking out their presents.

Growing up, my Christmases were somewhat subdued. With no grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins to speak of, celebrations were limited to Mom, Ray and I spending the day together, and when they split, it was either Mom and her new man or just Ray. We'd buy each other non-expensive gifts and our dinner wasn't much different to usual. Our house would be covered in lights and decorations, but I felt like I had lost that true excitement about Christmas you have as a child.

Christian told me he never celebrated Christmas after he had hit teenage hood. He wasn't entirely telling the truth. Grace told me he attended their Christmas parties and dinners and exchanged gifts, he just wasn't happy about it. I don't even think he acknowledged the tree that stood in the main room of Escala for all those years. His ideas of gifts were salary raises, diamonds and season tickets to the Mariners.

It obviously all changed once we were married. For our first Christmas I was four months pregnant and utterly joyous about spending it with my husband. Christian even bought us an 'Our First Christmas' bauble with one of our wedding photos on it to put on the tree. We had Christmas dinner with his parents and fought to keep our hands off of each other. I was so turned on by my festive fifty that we made a trip to the boathouse and then left early, much to the dismay of his parents.

A 'My First Christmas' bauble was made for each Teddy and Phoebe on their first year of celebrating the holiday. A photo of them as a newborn adorned each ball, with their full name and birth date. Those and our wedding bauble are my most treasured pieces to put on the tree. When they were babies we dressed them in little Christmas costumes for photos and we still get them to wear at least themed coloured clothing. Christian tried to refuse, but when he saw Teddy in his little Santa hat for the first time I swear he melted.

Christmas really changes when you have children. The joy and wonder on their faces when they see if Santa has come is priceless. I can't think of a better way to spend the day than celebrating with my family.

"Ana!" Christian's voice calls.

"Huh?" I jerk my head up to the sound.

"Are you still with us?" He jokes. I resist the urge to roll my eyes and catch myself up to the present.

Teddy and Phoebe are giggling away at a viewing of 'Elf,' their favourite Christmas movie, as they sit either side of Christian. I wrestled them into their Christmas pyjamas and even with their excitement for tomorrow I can see their yawns and drooping eyelids. I'm lying on my own couch, tracing patterns on my very sizable belly. At 25 weeks I'm already feeling whale-like and just want my space. I have brought up two very cuddly children who seem to be obsessed with feeling their siblings move. Sometimes I just need to lie down without being covered by my husband or spawn.

The credits of the movie start to roll and Christian stands to pick up Teddy. He has one more week with the casts and is doing fine. No pain anymore, just extremely itchy and smelly. I can't wait till they cut those things off and he can take a proper bath.

"Time to go to bed, guys," Christian announces, "but first we have to hang up our stockings and leave milk and cookies out for Santa!"

Over the years of having children, Christian has evolved into a very enthusiastic Christmas dad. All about making our own traditions and whatnot.

I pass out our stockings and we hang them on the mantle in order. Christian, Anastasia, Theodore and Phoebe. I can't help but smile when I think about how next Christmas we'll be hanging up two more. Then Phoebe and Teddy, helped by Christian, lay out their Santa sacks. They'll get a sack full with presents and then some given specially by us.

Gail left the milk and cookies and a carrot out on the kitchen counter before retreating to the staff house and this year fully able bodied Phoebe gets to do the honours.

"Do we haveta go to bed now, Daddy?" She whines.

"Yes, Phoebe. Santa will know if you're awake and won't come. He will only come if you're fast asleep."

We have this argument every year.

"But I wanna see Santa!"

"You can't see Santa, Phoebe. He comes very quickly since he has to visit _all_ the houses of _all_ the children in the world."

Phoebe does her trademark huff and I try not to laugh at her. Such a mini fifty. Teddy is passing out on his dad's shoulder so I know he won't be a problem.

"Let's go to bed, baby girl," I say as I take her hand and lead her upstairs, "Christmas will come so much faster once you're asleep."

We tuck each child into bed and kiss them goodnight, promising to be up early in the morning. That's another thing about kids and Christmas, the ridiculously early wake up times. We sneakily plan early bed times on the eve so we're not zombies in the morning.

We unlock the door of the spare room and start the task of placing all the presents under the tree and in their sacks. I'm limited to carrying the small presents and filling the stockings. We share the milk and cookies, and place the carrot back into the fridge before finally retreating to our room.

I turn to Christian in our bed and run my fingers over his naked abs.

"You want an early Christmas present, Mrs Grey?" He purrs.

"I think I do," I say playfully and bite my bottom lip. Christian's head ducks under the covers and he rips off my underwear as if it were wrapping paper.

* * *

"DADDY! MAMA!" Phoebe screams as she barrels into our room and climbs the foot of big bed.

"Ooof," Christian grunts when she makes contact.

"Waaaaaake uuuuup! Santa came!"

I roll over and see her climbing all over Christian. Even at this early hour I grin at her. She's so excited and grins back.

"What do we say before we open presents though, Phoebe?" I ask.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" She screams out and I laugh.

"Merry Christmas, love bug," Christian says and hugs her body to his, kissing her on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas, baby girl." She leans over a little and I kiss her head.

This morning is so quiet without Teddy. He's obviously not able to run into our room himself so I suggest Phoebe go wake him with her Christmas cheer. She runs off screaming for Teddy, flinging around her arm that holds her stuffed lamb.

Christian keeps his sleepy gaze on mine and we share a few short yet passionate kisses. I'd like to take this further but the door is open and we can hear Phoebe jumping up and down waiting for us to get up.

"Merry Christmas to you, my wife."

"A very merry Christmas to you too, husband."

* * *

"Christian, help me down," I request when I realise I cannot lower myself to the ground.

"Maybe you should just sit on the couch?" He tentatively offers. Such a control freak, but a little concerned about my reaction.

"No, it's Christmas. I have to sit by the tree with the kids."

"Okay," he says, exasperated, and takes a lot of my weight as he helps me to sit.

"Can we pleeeease open presents now, Mommy?" Teddy whines.

"Yes, baby, Daddy is going to hand them out," I tell him and smooth back his curls. Christian flicks a remote and carols start playing from the sound system. Another tradition. I sit in between Teddy and Phoebe on the floor, who are in front of their full-to-bursting Santa sacks, and wait for Christian to start his annual passing out of the presents. He crouches next to the pile of impeccably wrapped gift boxes and rubs his chin as if he's deep in thought.

"Me first!" Phoebe demands, she probably wants to get this out of the way so she can rip into the massive pile just for her.

"No! Me! I'm older!" Teddy rebuts.

Christian laughs and passes me the first present with a lingering kiss. The children rip through their presents and screech at what they see. We gave Teddy one of those handheld electronic game things; don't ask me, Christian bought it, and Phoebe a fancy new doll house. Christian and I exchange gifts; I get more jewellery and him a watch.

Once we've opened all our presents for each other, just some more toys, a new twin baby book for me, cufflinks for Christian, and some drawings from the kids, Teddy and Phoebe rip into their presents from Santa. Christian sits behind me and I lean back against his chest as we watch and smile at our kid's reactions. We act shocked and impressed at what he's brought them and Christian takes photos. Wrapping paper is being thrown in every direction and from the lull in the sound of ripping; I assume they've finally made it to the end.

Christian jumps up and hands out the stockings, and Ted and Phoebe grin over the new craft supplies I filled them with.

Mine is filled with all the candy I crave when pregnant and a trip to the spa. We are a chorus of thank yous to each other and to Santa, of course, until we are interrupted by my extremely loud grumbling stomach.

* * *

"Merry Christmas, my darlings!" Grace calls out when she sees us trekking up the drive. Carrick rushes out to grab the light bag of presents I'm holding and we try to rush inside so we don't get too wet. Raining on Christmas, what else do I expect from Seattle?

Grace is gushing over Teddy and Phoebe's outfits. Teddy is in red jeans and a white and red sweater. It actually has some knitted Reindeers on it but he hasn't noticed, and Phoebe is in all white but with a bright red tutu. She spins around like a ballerina and I can tell that is her trick for the day. She will wrap every man in the family around her little finger even more with that adorable twirl.

"Sit, sit, Ana," Grace gushes, and I comply as I do need to sit down. Perks of being pregnant on Christmas, not having to help out one bit.

I marvel at the decorations in the room, like I do every year, because every year they are spectacular. The tree is large and covered in lights, ornaments and strings of beads. The mantelpiece and every small table are covered in flowers and holly. There is mistletoe in the main doorway and the whole house just smells like Christmas. It has such a lovely and traditional feel to it. Christian adds our gifts to the pile already under the tree, and I can tell once everyone else turns up there will be no room left under or near it. We are an extravagant family, that's for sure.

The doorbell rings and Ava bounds to us. The rest of the family is not very far away and even Ray has turned up. Unfortunately my mom couldn't make it out this year. Ever since Teddy's first Christmas she promised to come every second year, but with the twins being born next year, she thought to skip this year so she could come next December. We had their presents delivered but it is weird going two years without my mom here.

We all catch up before opening the gifts. Phoebe twirls, Ava shows off her new apparent talent for singing. I love my niece, but I think at age four she may already be a little tone deaf. Eden flaunts her new ability to crawl and Teddy shows off how he can walk with one leg in a cast, albeit somewhat unsteadily.

Madness ensues once it's announced by Carrick that it's time to exchange presents. Ethan appears out of thin air in a Santa costume, "Ho, ho, ho's" for a bit, calms down the screams of "SAAANTAAA!" from three children and starts handing everything out. Once he's done he sits on the ground with Phoebe and Ava on his lap as they open their new toys.

I tear up a bit at the view before me. Couples huddled together, everyone smiling at the bunch of overexcited children, living this day as if nothing outside of this room can hurt us. All ills forgotten, just immense happiness.

"Are you okay, baby?" Christian whispers in my ear, then kisses under it.

"I'm fine," I smile at him, "just really happy."

"Me too, their faces make me want to burst with joy. Yours too. I'm so happy I could provide such a good childhood for them."

"The best." We kiss, somewhat passionately, until Elliot hollers at us to get a room. I blush. I don't think that part of me will ever go away.

* * *

After a delicious lunch filled with roast meats, vegetables and sweets, everyone starts falling into the turkey coma. 'Miracle on 34th Street,' is playing on the big television and all of the kids have already passed out from a mixture of overactivity and the sugar crash. I lean tiredly on Christian's shoulder and rub my belly absentmindedly. The babies have been kicking all day, wrapped up in the Christmas excitement as well.

"Tired, baby?" Christian asks softly.

"Mmhmm," I mutter, eyelids closing as he rubs a steady pace on my arm.

"I'll wake you in a while," he promises.

"Mmmkay."

"Another great Christmas, Mrs Grey. I love you."

"I agree. Love you too," I mumble and he laughs, kissing my lips softly before I succumb to sleep.


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Many thanks again! Here's some pure, unadulterated fluff for you all because I felt fluffy and I have no idea where this is going. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_Ana POV_

"Mommy! Mommy!" I hear Teddy call out from the front door.

"Teddy, please don't run. You heard what the doctor said," Christian lightly scolds. I can nearly hear him running a hand through those copper curls.

The stomping feet slow down and I patiently wait for my now fully abled son to walk into the room. He had his six week post-break check-up today, and it was obviously good news if the casts came off.

"Hey Mommy!" Teddy walks, a little fast, to me. Christian is right on his feet, being the overprotective father that he is.

"Sit, Teddy," commands Christian and Teddy does. He sits right up against my side on the couch, my favourite place at the moment.

"Hey Bear, how was the doctors?" I ask and run a hand over his head, then his shoulders to pull him closer to me.

"Good, Mom. Look! They took everything off!" He throws out his free arms and legs in front of him.

Christian is stood watching us. All business with his arms crossed over his chest.

"The doctor said all his x-rays were clear and all the bones have healed nicely. He's going to need some strengthening and therapy on his ankle, but his arm should be fine. He's only been cleared for light activity, which means no running," he emphasises towards Teddy who rolls his eyes. "Show Mom your arms and legs, Ted."

I'm confused for a second as Ted stands and rolls up his sweater sleeves. He holds both arms together and there is a significant difference to how they look. His left arm looks scarily skinny compared to the other. It's the same with his legs. The right one looks terribly weak. He also needs a good wash by the look of all the dead skin. Yuck.

"Wow, Teddy, they look very different right now, hey?" He nods, "We'll have to feed you up to bring back my Mr Strong Man." Teddy giggles and Christian narrows his eyes.

I challenge those eyes with some narrowing of my own and I pat the seat next to me as an invitation to sit down, which he does. I rest my hand on his lower thigh and rub slowly to calm him down. He visibly relaxes after a few strokes.

"Mommy, where's Phoebe?"

"In the den with Gail, why don't you do play with her a while?"

"Okay." Teddy jumps down and shows signs of running.

"Walk, Theodore!" Christian bellows in my ear and Teddy slows down to a dramatic slow walk up the stairs. Even for such a sweet tempered boy, my sass certainly shows through sometimes.

I keep rubbing my thigh as I turn to him. "What's wrong?"

Christian throws his head back against the couch cushion and shuts his eyes, exhaling loudly. "It was just stressful at the doctors. Having to hear about everything he needs done still and his body looks so emaciated. And your little quip about food didn't go unnoticed, Anastasia."

"What did I do? You should be happy that I'm encouraging good eating habits!"

"Whatever you say, darling," he says sarcastically. Ass. I stop my stroking in protest. "No, keep doing that, it feels so good," he whines. I go back to it only because it seems to be improving his mood, and I'd like a happy fifty for tonight's New Year's Eve party.

"Do you think he'll be okay for our special surprise tonight?"

"I'll supervise. I'd feel terrible to make him miss out."

"Right, then," I say as I slap him lightly twice, "we need to bathe the spawn. Help this whale off the couch."

Christian glares at me but helps me up.

"You are not a whale." I roll my eyes. "Don't think I didn't miss that Teddy has picked up on your habit," he growls and kisses me roughly and slaps my ass. "That was for not giving me my welcome home kiss."

* * *

_Christian POV_

I'm sipping on my beer as I watch my wife socialise with our family and friends. It was Ana's idea to host a New Year's Eve party this year as it would be easier on her and the kids. It's not like we don't have the space. Our main living area has been cleaned out and opens up to the covered decking area that has been closed in with coverings to create an outdoor space with heaters.

Ana looks exhausted as she sits with John's wife Rhian and some of her colleagues, I think they're chatting about the babies by the way she is cradling her big bump. To be honest I don't know who half the people here are. They've all been background checked by Welch and Taylor but I didn't bother doing the reading. We have all the family sans Carla and Bob, Flynn and his family, Ros and Gwen and then a scattering of Ana's work friends, Ted's little friends and their families, family of the security, friends of my parents and Mia, and even some of Ethan and Kate's cousins and their kids. This place is becoming somewhat cramped.

I take another sip of beer and scrutinise the situation. I catch Ana's eyes and she raises an eyebrow. Probably at my drink. Ever since the Halloween debacle I have been on a strict drinking limit. Ana did say I could have beer and wine though, just no spirits. Oh god, what am I saying? Ana says I can do this, Ana says I can do that. I sound like her damn submissive. She nods at me once and I smile back, telling her I understood the signal.

Teddy runs past me and I grab his arm. "Teddy, I'd like you to go get all the kids and bring them here okay?"

"Why, Daddy?"

"You'll see." He runs off again. "And what did I say about running, young man?" I yell exasperated. He just will not listen, as stubborn as his mother.

I turn down the music and get ready to make an announcement. "Anastasia and I have set up a surprise for all of the children, once they're all gathered together I'd like you to all follow me."

I help Ana off the couch, kiss her lightly, and then lead the pack of party guests to our oversized garage.

"Are you ready?" I ask the small, jumping children in front of me and they all nod and tell me yes.

I open the door to reveal a large, inflatable jumping castle. It has a huge jumping area and a climbing wall that leads to a wide slide. The squeals that emanate from these children nearly make me cover my ears. Ana and I grin at each other and I know she's very pleased with the reaction for her idea. Mine will come later.

All the parents de-shoe the children and they all jump on except Teddy who I pull back.

"Ah ah ah, Theodore, we need to go over some rules." He gives me the super pouty face as he hears the laughing and joy of his friends on the castle without him. "No jumping too high, no rough housing and come and get me if your ankle starts to hurt okay?"

"Okay!" I ruffle his hair and he is off.

I wrap my arms around Ana from the back and we all watch the kids jump around and slide. My mother has her camera out and is documenting every second while my dad tapes it. I spot Elliot carrying Eden towards the castle with his shoes and jacket off.

"Elliot, aren't you a little old for the jumping castle?"

"I don't want my little girl to miss out, I'm sure you've gotten the safest one you could?"

"Of course."

"And are adults allowed on it?"

"It did say all ages, yes."

"So I can use it. I haven't been on one since I was a kid!" He ducks through the side entry and starts to bounce lightly. Kate's face is full of anxiety as she watches them.

"Be careful, babe! Don't squish anyone!" She calls to him.

Eden starts a full on belly laugh and it's not long before Ethan and some of the other dads join them. Even Flynn has a go down the slide. Many of the mothers skip it as their outfits don't really permit the movement. I watch as Ethan grabs my daughter and Ava and slides down with them. They are laughing like mad and seeing Phoebe so happy is amazing but I kind of wish I was in Ethan's position. Teddy is jumping around with his friends and their dads, the picture of happiness and I feel a pang of jealousy.

"You should join them," Ana tells me softly, reading my mind again. "You did set this up." She can feel me shrug behind her. "You know Teddy and Phoebe would love it if you did."

"I've never been on one…" I whisper in her ear.

"What?" She turns her head, shocked.

"I've never been on a jumping castle. We used to have them for our birthday parties as children, but I never went on it."

"Then this is your chance. Go!" Ana nods her head towards it. I hesitate, and I admit that I am a little scared. I've been assured it is safe but is seems very rocky and unpredictable. "God, Christian, it's not going to kill you. Go!"

I slowly take off my shoes and hand Ana my jacket before I slowly walk towards the structure. I test out the bounce with one foot before entering the enclosed bouncing space.

"Bro, you finally made it on one of these! Only took you over 30 years!" Elliot laughs at me.

"Shut up," I mutter back.

I do some sort of bouncy walk as I make my way carefully through the children and men until I make it to Teddy.

"Hey, Dad!"

"Having fun, buddy?"

"Yeah!" He answers and climbs the fake rock wall to the top of the slide.

"Daddy!" I hear my little angel's voice call. I turn to seek her out but am tackled to the floor. I bounce up and down with the little body on my chest. "Hi," she giggles.

"Hi."

"Let's jump, Daddy! Get up!" She stands and holds out her hands. I unsteadily get to my feet. "Now hold both my hands," I do, "and jump!" Phoebe starts jumping up and down madly and I eventually gain enough confidence to jump high enough to become airborne. It's a weird feeling but it's also kind of fun. I start laughing along with Phoebe as we jump around with the other kids.

"Daddy, will you slide with me?"

"Uh, sure."

Phoebe bounces us towards the climbing wall and I watch her climb up easily. I struggle to follow her up with my big feet slipping off the holds.

"Daaaaddy, hurry."

"I'm getting there, Angel," I say as I finally pull myself up onto the platform.

As I place Phoebe on my lap to slide down I spot my mother at the end with her camera. Ana has walked over to watch us and Ray has a supportive arm around her for which I am grateful. She is smiling and beckons us to go down. I grip Phoebe around the middle and scoot to the edge before slipping down. Phoebe squeals loudly in delight and I laugh along with her and even more when I hit the end with an "oof."

"Was that fun, Phe?"

"Yes, Daddy! Let's go again!"

I end up going down the slide with Teddy and my nieces as well. I think the parents are having just as much fun as the children.

I subtly tell the parents to grab their children's coats and we wrestle each child into one before they go back to the adult party. Elliot and I line all the children up along the automatic garage door and as it opens the child friendly fireworks start to go off. We sit them down and I pull both Phoebe and Teddy between my legs and watch the display. I cuddle closer to my kids to keep them warm and I wish Ana could share this moment with us. She wanted to but I would rather she didn't stand out in the cold. We have our own midnight firework show later. I think my idea was as successful as my wife's with the amount of "wows" and expressions of awe about.

"Happy New Year," I say and kiss them both.

"Happy New Year, Daddy," they reply.

We usher everyone back inside and to their parents. There's just enough time for them to devour the kids dessert table before bedtime.

Ana tails me, dragging along Teddy, as I carry a sleepy Phoebe to her bedroom. I help change her out of her puffy party dress into her pyjamas and Kate and Elliot come in and do the same for Ava. They're staying over tonight so Ava is sleeping on the pull out bed. The rest of the kids are sleeping on mattresses in the den until their parents take them home.

"Goodnight, baby girl. See you in the new year," I say and kiss her sleepy eyelids. Ana and Teddy follow. "Goodnight, Ava."

"Night, Uncle Cwristian."

"Sweet dreams, girls."

"Time for bed, Teddy Bear," Ana walks out as I wait for Kate and Elliot to leave and crack the door.

"Can I stay up later? I'm six!"

"Nope. I'll let you stay up later when you're ten," I tell him as I pull off his sweater and top and replace it with his pyjamas.

"But that's aaaages away."

"That's the point," he yawns right in my face, "see you are tired and when you wake up you can tell everyone you're turning seven _this_ year." I pick him up and tuck him into bed.

* * *

The waiters floating around have increased the amount of alcohol flowing through the room and I can clearly see the effect it's having. Mia and Ethan are practically fornicating on my couch and Elliot has started some unplanned karaoke.

"How are you doing, darling?" My mother asks as she walks up to me.

"Fine, just worried about Ana."

"Nothing new then?" She jokes, "Oh darling, I'm just kidding. She looks quite fine to me, positively glowing."

"Yeah," I take a gulp of my newest beer.

"I nearly cried when I saw you on that jumping castle."

"Mom…" I turn to her and she has tears in her eyes.

"It's true. You looked so happy. You didn't act like that as a child and I felt like I missed out on seeing that part of you. Since Ana and the children you've shown this completely different side of you and I realise that I didn't miss out on anything, I just had to wait a little longer."

"Come here, Mom." I hug her tightly as she composes herself. "You know I love you."

"I love you too, son."

A flash goes off and I see Ana taking a photo of our embrace.

"You all should get your coats to go outside soon."

Ana waddles to me and leans in to whisper, "Yes, sir." Well I think someone is feeling a little needy for something not so little. I would pull her away to our bedroom if I wasn't hosting this damn party.

I'm standing wrapped around Ana on the decking. I've placed us near one of the heaters just in case she gets cold. We won't be able to see the fireworks from here so we'll have to quickly move for the countdown.

"I can't believe another year is over," I murmur as I stare into those beautiful, big blue eyes.

"Mmm, it's been a ride, that's for sure." Ana's belly constricts our ability to cuddle front on so I'm at her side with her head turned towards mine. I pull her against me as tight as I can.

"Do you know we can say we'll be having babies this year?"

"Yes, and we'll be married for eight. I can't believe it."

"I love you more and more each day." I'll admit I can get a bit sappy these days.

"I love you so much, sweetheart." I smile at the name she gives me. I dip my head for a kiss and she takes my mouth completely. She thrusts her tongue through my lips and I moan inwardly.

"Ten!" Someone booms from behind us and we pull apart to quickly walk down the steps into the field. We gather around closely to keep warm.

"Nine!"

I pull Ana in front of me and wrap my arms around her, resting my head on her shoulder.

"Eight!"

Ana slumps back into my chest. I look around at the other couples in the same position.

"Seven!"

"I can't wait for another year with you." I whisper.

"Six!"

I kiss her neck repeatedly.

"Five!"

I snake my arms to her bump and rub.

"Four!"

Her hands rest atop mine.

"Three!"

She turns her head to smile and me and I beam back.

"Two!"

I peck her lips quickly before the last second.

"One! Happy New Year!" We all yell.

"Happy New Year, baby," I say before kissing her passionately. I can hear the pops of the fireworks above us but I tune them out. This is just for us.

We only separate when we both need to breathe.

"Happy New Year, Christian."

We settle in to watch the elaborate firework display I ordered. It's a beautiful and mesmerising way to ring in the New Year.

When it's done, we head back inside. I'm overwhelmed with the amount of thanks I am receiving. We have successfully hosted our first New Year's Eve party. Some guests stay for more drinks while others leave in the cars I provided. With the amount of alcohol everyone has drunk, I refuse to let anyone drive.

After saying goodnight to Elliot and Kate I can finally take my Ana to bed. I can tell she is exhausted as I help her out of her dress.

"Did I tell you how absolutely gorgeous you are tonight?

"I think someone's a little tipsy," she remarks as she takes out her earrings.

"I mean it. You look amazing."

"Thank you, baby."

We go through our usual nightly routine before I pull her into bed. I cuddle up close to her under the covers, my front to her back.

I run my fingers down the length of her arm and she shudders. I avoid her chest, as I know it's becoming painful for her, and go straight between her thighs. I am rewarded with wet heat as I sink one, then two fingers into her.

I've been half hard all night and mini-Christian does not need any more fuel than this. Ana is moaning softly and I take this as a sign to continue. I remove my fingers and enter her slowly. Her contented groan spurs me on as I thrust gently in and out. I can feel myself building quickly and reach around to rub that little bunch of nerves to get Ana to my level.

"Mmm, Christian."

"Come on, baby, give it to me."

"Oh, god. OH," I soon feel her muscles clench around me which spurs me into my orgasm. I call out a mumbled version of her name as I spill into her.

"Here's to two thousand and nineteen, baby."


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Sorry for the massive delay, I lost all my work on this but it's all good now. Thanks for all the love! Hope you like this chapter :) **

* * *

_Ana POV_

"What the fucking fuck is this supposed to do?!" My husband yells, holding up a piece of the crib he's building. Well, trying to build.

"I don't know, baby, read the instructions," I tell him and rub where one of the twins has kicked. At 34 weeks, I am huge. I'm bigger than I had ever imagined, and I'm becoming extremely uncomfortable. I cannot count how many times in a day I say 'I just want these babies out of me.'

"Fuck the instructions!"

I start to laugh at Christian's anger. He's been so determined to build their cribs this time around, but I think I'll call in Elliot to check their structural integrity. As we're having a girl and a boy, we've decided on mint green nursery with birch wood furniture. Ted has the blue and cherry wood bedroom, and Phoebe was spoilt with her pink and white princess theme. Basically everything is set up but their cribs, even their names in wood lettering are already placed above where they will sleep. This room is very simplistic and calming. Especially the glider I'm relaxing on while I watch Christian stress out.

"Are you laughing at me, Anastasia?" Christian asks, failing at hiding his amusement of this situation.

"Can you blame me? Look at you! Also, I'm pretty sure that is one of the slats for the bottom of it…"

"Thank you, professor," he replies sarcastically.

"You asked!"

In the past couple of months, Christian and I have been great. Better than great, actually. We vowed to make 2019 a great year, and it has been so far. He is attentive and caring, but also stern with the children. He has been seeing his therapist every week and has finally accepted that he has the capacity to love four children. But by far the best thing is how relaxed he has become. He still stresses over control and protection, but I have never seen him laugh and smile so much in my life. He makes jokes, plays silly games with the children and fools around with me making witty remarks that we both don't confuse for insults or anger.

Days like today where he has taken time off work to set up the nursery are becoming more and more prevalent. He takes full days off when I have appointments or when I'm feeling crappy. He is the definition of the perfect husband and baby daddy. He even understood that Valentine's Day this year couldn't be an extravagant affair and set up movies and junk food in bed with foot rubs.

"Ana…Ana!"

"What?"

"I need some help," he admits and walks over to hand me the instructions.

"Oh, mister big shot can't figure it out himself?"

"Come on, Ana, you haven't helped me at all."

"I don't need to help, I'm doing all the cooking over here."

"And I am forever grateful," he sweet talks and places a hand on my belly. He checks his watch and narrows his eyes. "Actually, I think it's time for your nap."

I would complain, but I am very tired. I have even been put on bed rest due to the amount of fatigue I'm constantly feeling.

"Sounds good." Christian raises an eyebrow at the fact I didn't challenge him and grabs both my arms to pull me up. I must have a very strong husband if he can lift this load.

He walks me to our bedroom and takes off my socks and sweats for me. Christian loves to dress and undress me now that I can barely reach my bottom half.

"Sweet dreams, Ana and babies," he says as he tucks me in and gives me a quick kiss.

"Mmm, can you wake me if I'm not up before the kids are home?"

"Sure thing, baby."

* * *

"Mama!" I hear at the same time that I feel the mattress bounce under me. "Mama, look what I did!"

I open my eyes to see Phoebe right in my face. Her hot breath hits me in short pants from running up the stairs and jumping on the bed. She holds something gold looking in front of my face and I have to grab it and hold it myself to focus. It's a frame covered in gold macaroni and glitter.

"Can you hold it for a second, please?" I ask as I hand it back. I grip the bed underneath me and heave myself into a sitting position. I feel so uncomfortable and can't find a good position.

"Can I look at it again?" Phoebe excitedly nods and gives it to me.

"It's beautiful, baby. Who's it for?"

"Me!"

"Aww, but mommy wants one," I pout.

"I'll make you one and Daddy one at school tomorrow, and maybe even Teddy!"

"You should ask your daddy to give you a photo to put in it. Where is your daddy anyway?" I'm kind of pissed that he didn't wake me earlier.

"Daddy is yelling at someone cos Teddy came home with a hurt hand." My mommy instincts immediately kick in at that.

"Is it okay?!"

"I dunno," she shrugs, absorbed in playing with the macaroni frame.

"Okay, well, Mommy's going to take a bath now so you should go play with Daddy and Teddy, okay?" I say as I slowly swing my legs around and off the side of the bed. I think a bath might make this back ache go away.

"Do you need a helper, Mommy?" Phoebe asks. When she wants to be, that girl is such an angel.

"No, baby girl, just go tell Daddy where I am."

"Okay!" Phoebe jumps off the bed and races downstairs.

I eventually get up from the bed and waddle to the bathroom. I gingerly sit down on the edge of the bathtub as I run the taps. I manage to take my top and underwear off myself and slowly sit down in the warm water. Oh, it feels so good. I switch on the jet that hits my lower back and I'm in heaven. The pressure and warmth are doing wonders. I've had this growing ache in my back all day.

I tip my head back and rest it on the end of the tub and close my eyes. Peace and quiet. I wish I could put some oils in the water but Christian forbade it after I nearly slipped getting out once.

My babies have settled and I regularly swish some warm water over the part of my bump that pokes out from the water.

"Anastasia!" Christian's voice roars through the opening door, "what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

_Well, it was good while it lasted._

"Jeez, I was just taking a bath…"

"You shouldn't be taking baths alone! Your centre of gravity is all off and you could fall!" Christian runs both his hands through his hair.

"Christian, please, don't yell at me. I've had this pain growing in my back all day and wanted to relieve it."

He kneels next to the tub and strokes my hair. "I'm sorry, baby. I freaked out when Phoebe told me you were in the bath alone. You know how I worry."

"I get it. Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

"I was actually about to wake you before the kids came home, but then Ryan called to say Teddy would need first aid when he got home and it slipped my mind. You could use all the rest you can get, anyways."

"What happened with Teddy?"

"He must have fallen during play time, or lunch, and scrapped his hand. His teacher didn't notice it or didn't care, so it was all dirty when he came home. Gail fixed him up and I set the school in their place. I swear to fuck that we've had more trouble with them than good."

"I don't think so, Christian. Since you're here now, can you help this lady out of the bath? I'm turning into a prune."

"Of course, baby." Christian takes my arms and slowly helps me stand. As soon as I'm upright I feel water gush down my legs. At first I think it's left over water, but surely there isn't that much of it.

"Um, Ana, what was that?" Christian asks.

"I think my water just broke?"

"What?! But you're only 34 weeks!"

"I know. Oh my god, it's too early. It's way too early." I start to panic and tears form in my eyes. Christian is nearly supporting all of my weight as I freak out.

"Shh, Ana. Okay, you're going to be fine. Let me clean you off and then I'll call the doctor, okay?"

Thank god for Christian. All I can do is nod weakly. I'm so scared. Christian grabs a wash cloth and cleans my legs before helping me step out. He quickly dries me and dresses me in my robe. I thought I was shivering from the cold, but I'm actually shaking from fear.

"Ana, baby, I need you to take some deep breaths for me. You and the babies are going to be fine, I'll make sure of it." He hugs me as best he can and kisses my forehead before wrapping an arm around my waist to walk me to the bed. I sit down on the edge before Christian kisses me again and leaves the room.

I caress my belly as I wait for him to return. I'm really freaking out here. I thought I would get to at least 37 or 38 weeks with them. They're going to be so small and weak. I hate to think what could happen to them, or how sick they could be. Why can't I have one pregnancy go smoothly?

"Mommy isn't going to let anything happen to you, okay? You're going to be just fine. You have to be fine," I whisper to them with tears running down my cheeks. I get a little kick in return which settles some of nerves.

Christian walks back into the room and starts going through our closet and throwing clothes on the bed. "Okay, I called the doctor who said to come in right away and I called mom who will meet us there. Gail is looking after the kids and Taylor is ready with the bag. Now we need to dress you and get going."

He has turned into CEO mode to deal with this situation and it only makes me cry more. _Damn hormones._

"Hey, Ana." Christian's blurry face appears in front of mine. "Don't cry, baby. We need to be strong for them. Now let's get you dressed."

I barely register my surroundings as Christian dresses me and him and Taylor help me down the stairs. I'm not in any pain yet but no chances are being taken. Teddy hugs my legs to say goodbye and Phoebe pitches a fit over us leaving right after she came home. Gail holds her and lets her cry into her shoulder as she says goodbye and good luck. I smile weakly back and before I know it I'm in a wheelchair being transported to a private hospital room.

* * *

"Good evening, Ana, Mr Grey," Dr Greene greets as she walks in the room.

Christian shakes her hand while I just nod. We had no news about what's going on as we waited for Dr Greene to arrive. All they did was set up heart rate monitors and an IV.

"So I hear your waters have broken?" I nod, "have you had any contractions?"

"I don't think so, just an increasing back ache. Nothing like what it was with the first two."

"Let's check you out then."

Dr Greene thoroughly examines me and I'm already three centimetres dilated. She also does an ultrasound to see the babies growth. Apparently they're of normal weight for their gestation and there shouldn't be many complications. You can hear the collective sigh of relief from me, Christian and Grace. I'm upset that my own mom can't be here with me. She is supposed to be coming to Seattle in two weeks.

"We'll do your C-section as soon as possible. A nurse will prep you now while I grab another obstetrician. Christian, the nurse will bring you some scrubs. Any questions?"

I shake my head but Christian gestures for them to talk alone in the hall and I'm becoming too tired and stressed to even care. Nothing is going to plan. I start tearing up again and Grace grabs my hand.

"What's wrong, sweet girl? You shouldn't be crying when your babies are about to be born."

"I'm scared, and I wish my mom was here." I start to sob and Grace holds me tight.

"I'm sure Christian already has her on a plane on her way here. And I know you're scared, but right now we have to hope they'll come out of this completely fine. Christian will be with you every step of the way."

* * *

A blue screen is placed above my belly and Christian grips my right hand. It turns out he does have my mom and Bob on the first flight out of Georgia and the rest of the family have congregated at our house waiting for news.

"Can you feel this, Ana?" I hear Dr Greene's disembodied voice say.

"Feel what?"

"Well that's worked. Okay, let's do this."

Christian squeezes my hand as he looks beyond the screen. His face looks the same as it does the other two times we've done this, scared and pale. It isn't that long before I feel some tugging and Dr Greene's voice.

"It's a boy first at 4:42pm." The room is silent as the nurses take him away. I don't even get to look at him.

"Why isn't he crying?" I ask Christian in a panicked voice. He doesn't have any answers as his attention is split between the doctor and the nurse.

"APGAR?" Dr Greene yells. I hear a tiny, faint cry.

"APGAR is seven," another voice says back. _Seven?_ _Teddy and Phoebe were way higher than that._

There's more tugging and pulling and I watch Christian smile softly.

"Baby girl born at 4:45pm," Dr Greene announces.

"She's so small," whispers Christian.

"APGAR?"

"Six."

_Oh my god. _

"Isn't that a bit low?" Christian asks.

"Don't worry, preemies are born so early that sometimes their colouring is bluish and their muscles aren't fully developed. It's common that they have lower APGAR scores than full term babies."

"I want to see them," I say.

"The nurses are just checking them over, Ana. Daddy can go over if he likes."

"Do you mind?" Christian asks me.

"No, go."

He walks off to the nurses as Dr Greene works on me. I'm so worried that I haven't heard my baby girl cry, unless she has and I can't hear it over all the noise. I watch Christian as he leans over the plastic cribs.

"Oh, Ana," he turns back to me, "they're so beautiful." I can hear the emotion in his voice. He turns back to the nurse who hands him a little blue bundle. I watch him walk back over to me with a small smile.

"They said I could bring him to you. Anastasia, meet your son." He holds the baby right by my face and he is right, he is amazing. Small and bald, but he has such an angelic face.

"Welcome to the world, Oliver. You're such a beautiful little boy." I reach up to gently stroke his face.

"Mr Grey, we need him back now. We are taking them to the NICU."

"What? What's wrong?" I panic.

"Standard procedure for premature babies, Mrs Grey."

Christian walks away with Oliver and I watch them wheel out two cribs. He returns to my side as Dr Greene is finishing off.

"What about Imogen? I want to see her!" I cry.

"Shh, baby, you will. They just need to check them over, okay?" Christian tries to calm me. _He got to see her and I didn't, this is so unfair. _

I continue crying as Dr Greene and the other doctors congratulate us and I'm taken to recovery. That's where Christian leaves me to spread the news and Grace comes to keep me company. She must have been told about what's happened as she just holds me and lets me cry.


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Wheeeey they're here! Thanks for the support after my little disappearance. **

**To the guest who slammed the girls name: I don't believe the name is 'hideous' nor do I think a child with that name would be made fun of. I know a few girls called Imogen and none have had troubles with their name apart from people sometimes pronouncing it wrong. I'm also not going to change the name now it's confirmed. This is my story and I'll name my OC's how I like. Thanks for your anonymous input, if you'd like to know my reasoning behind the name feel free to log in and PM me.**

**Sorry if this is crappily edited. Let me know what you think!**

* * *

_Ana POV_

Everything hurts.

My stomach hurts from my C-section, my head hurts from crying and my heart hurts because I still haven't been able to see my babies.

I'm used to the pain of surgery after having been through it twice before, but usually that pain is offset by the joy of holding and bonding with my baby. Christian has been out of my room for a while, checking on the twins in the NICU. I wasn't even able to go with him as I have a stupid catheter that is restricting my movement.

The worst part is that no one has updated me on how Oliver and Imogen are doing. I know Christian will come back and tell me everything, but it feels like he has been gone an eternity. It doesn't help that I'm completely alone as Grace has left me to update our waiting family.

Everyone is here but I don't think I have the physical or emotional energy to see them all right now. All I want are my babies, my husband and some good news.

I stare blankly at the wall until I'm distracted by a soft knocking. I turn to see Kate peering through a small gap in the door, silently asking whether it's okay to come in. I nod once and try to force out a smile. I can tell it looks pathetic.

"Hey," she says walks over and kisses me on the cheek, lightly hugging my shoulders as to not cause me any pain. She then sits on the seat next to my bed and holds one of my hands in both of hers. "How are you holding up?"

There is such softness and care in her voice that I have to turn to look at her. Kate breaks her hard outer exterior when something of significance happens to our family. She usually turns into a teary and soppy mess. I think it started when she became pregnant with Ava. Now anything can set her off. I can see the tears brimming in her eyes and can tell she's holding it together for my sake. Of course this is happening to my children, but it's also happening to my family's grandchildren, their niece and nephew.

"Honest truth?" I ask.

"The complete honest truth, Steele."

"I'm not doing great. At all. I was only able to see Oliver, I didn't get a peek at Imogen at all. They were calling out those APGAR scores and they were low, like a lot lower than Teddy and Phoebe, and all I could think about was why they were like that. Imogen didn't even cry, or I didn't hear it. Then they took them away and I haven't seen or heard about them since. I was so out of it in recovery and now no one will tell me anything. It's like Christian has forgotten about me."

Kate squeezes my hand. "Hey, hey, hey, Christian has not forgotten about you. In the waiting room Grace said that he's down with the babies right now and signing off on treatment and insurance. He'll be back any minute to tell you everything. I bet he just wants to get all the information he can so he can relay it to you."

"Or it's bad and he's thinking of the best way to break it to me," I mutter.

"Ana, you need to be optimistic. Sure, the babies had low scores, but that is just how they're like right after birth. They could be completely fine now! They're half Christian and half you, they're going to be very strong babies."

It's all good for Kate to tell me these things, but she doesn't understand. Her two babies were born naturally and perfectly, she has no idea what this is like, and I don't wish for her to ever find out.

"Yeah, maybe. Has anyone called to check on Teddy and Phoebe?"

"Christian called when you were in recovery. They're fine and he said they'd been asking Gail's ear off about where you were and why you had gone so he told them that they'd soon meet their siblings. They are excited but they miss you."

"I miss them too."

"I'm sure we can arrange for them to come see you."

I smile weakly and she lightly rubs my knuckles with her thumb. It's a comforting gesture but I wish it were Christian.

The door opens again and Christian walks in. He looks tired and distressed, his hair in all sorts of directions and his eyes are red-rimmed.

Kate takes that as her cue to leave and hugs and kisses me again, this time repeatedly telling me it will all be okay. She even quickly hugs Christian on his way out, much to his shock.

As soon as we're alone Christian leans down and kisses me. Not a chaste kiss, or one filled with uncontrollable passion, but one of comfort. One letting me know that he's still here, that he loves me and that we're in this together. He then sits on the edge of my bed and takes both of my hands.

I open my mouth to speak but Christian interrupts me. Some things never change.

"Firstly, I want to apologise for not being here with you. I know you need me, and I need you to, but at that moment our babies really needed me as well. I'm so sorry that we couldn't be there together. I also want to thank you. Our babies are beautiful, Ana, so beautiful. Thank you for making me a daddy again."

"I get it, Christian. I just wish I knew more about what's been going on, and I want to see them. I haven't even met Imogen yet. She's my baby girl and I haven't got to see her face, or hold her, or cuddle her."

"C'mere, baby," Christian practically coos and wraps his arms around me. My head rests in the crook of his neck as silent tears fall down my face. Christian rubs my back as I cry it out. "Would you feel better if you saw a photo of her?"

I nod into his neck.

Christian lets go of me and slowly pushes me back until I hit the mattress. If I'm completely honest, sitting in that position was starting to cause more pain. He pulls out his phone and scrolls around until he finds what he's looking for. He smiles at the screen before handing it over to me.

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I see my daughter for the first time. She's sleeping on a little mattress in plastic box thing. Her little body is covered in wires and tubes but she still looks gorgeous and angelic. She has a perfect little face. The tears start streaming down my face again and Christian quickly wipes them away.

"She weighs about four pounds and seven ounces, Oliver is four pounds and 14 ounces so he's a little bigger. She's in an incubator since she's having trouble regulating her body temperature and has that feeding tube in her nose because she hasn't mastered the suck, swallow and breathe action yet. They're worried about her lungs and breathing so they're keeping an eye on that, but she seems to be doing fine otherwise."

"And Oliver?"

"He's in a warmer instead of an incubator and doesn't seem to be having much problems feeding at all. He's in a lot better shape, actually…" Christian looks down and his brow furrows.

"Christian?"

"Yeah, baby?" He looks back up to me.

"What was going on in the delivery?"

"Well they saw that Oliver was doing okay, but Imogen was having that lung trouble and wouldn't cry. That's why they gave her such a low score and took them down to the NICU right away. They also have less muscle tone and activity than Teddy or Phe so they were checking that out."

"Oh, alright," I say, thankful that I finally have information. "So what's next?" I ask as I scroll through the numerous photos he's taken. Christian must have given them some of the hospital clothes as Oliver is wearing his cute little blue hat with his name embroidered on it.

"Well, it's just a waiting game now. They'd like you to try and pump so they can have some breast milk to give to the babies, and tomorrow, if you can move, I can take you to see them."

"Do you know how long they'll be in there?"

"No, baby, but if they start to regulate their temperatures and put on some weight and have no complications, they should be out of there and home with us in no time."

I stay silent for a while. "Why did this happen to us, Christian? I tried to do everything right and everything went wrong again."

"Baby, you didn't do anything wrong. I don't know why but sometimes things like this happen. We just have to believe that our babies are getting the best care in the state, country even."

I nod again. My body feels empty and lonely. I spent 34 weeks with two other beings inside me, and now suddenly they're gone. I was hoping for a few more weeks with them, uncomfortable as I was. I could wrap my arms around my belly and speak to them and they would become more energetic at the sound of my voice. I could feel there little feet and hands pushing against me and I would follow their movements, gently pushing back. Christian would read to them and sing them to sleep. He would kiss where they would kick me. Usually we would slowly come to terms with the fact that the baby would soon be with us, and so it wasn't such a shock. Christian and I didn't get those last few weeks and we're now dealing with being forcibly separated from our children. I feel so lonely.

"Christian?" I ask timidly.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Can you lie with me?"

"Are you sure you're okay to do that? I don't want to cause you any more pain." His eyes are full of worry. My poor fifty.

"Please, Christian," I nearly beg.

Christian stands and walks to the other side of my bed so he doesn't disturb any of my wires and tubes. He helps me shuffle over so there's room and then lies on his side next to me. I'm only able to lie on my back right now so he places one arm around my neck and the other over my chest, trying to cuddle me. I instantly feel better. I feel so much safer and loved with his arms around me. Christian kisses my forehead, cheeks, eyelids, nose, chin and lips and I can't help but smile. This man knows me so well and can make me loved in an instant.

"Did you see the photo of Olly in his hat?" Christian whispers.

"I did," I answer and turn my head towards his, "he looks just like Teddy did, only smaller. Another daddy copy I think."

Christian grins. He loves the fact he has basically created clones. He takes back his phone and pulls up a photo of a close up of our baby girl's face. "But Imogen looks completely different, don't you think? Maybe we've finally got a baby exactly like you."

"Maybe," I say through a yawn.

"You tired, baby?" I nod. "Let's get some sleep. The sooner you do, the sooner we can see the babies."

Christian hums in my ear and strokes my hair as I fall asleep.

* * *

_Christian POV_

I rub my tired eyes as I watch my new daughter's chest rise and fall. We had a fitful night's rest after Ana woke in pain and then much to my relief, demanded some food. The nurses were not happy that we were sharing a bed so I was forced to retreat to the futon in the corner. I hate sleeping away from my wife.

Ana demanded I leave the room while she was checked over and had a shower. I only complied because I know how self-conscious she feels after having a C-section. She thinks that I find her fat and ugly, which is so far from the truth I can barely control myself. If anything she is more beautiful after bringing two more of my children into the world.

After watching Imogen for a while, I move over to see Oliver. The fact that he looks a lot healthier than Imogen makes my heart feel like it's ripping in two. He's bigger, chubbier and is breathing great on his own. The doctors have said he's showing more signs of a 35 week old instead of a 34 week old. He's still only wearing a diaper and his _'Oliver'_ hat. I slip a finger into his open palm and he immediately grasps it tightly. Daddy's strong little guy. I bite back my tears. I hate this. I hate that I have two vulnerable babies. I can't control this. I would gladly swap places with them if it meant they would be okay and we could take them home.

"Mr Grey?" A nurse asks from behind me. I take a deep breath, pulling myself together, and turn around.

"Yes?"

"I hate to bother you, but I was wondering when you'd like to officially fill out the twins' names?"

"Right. Well I'd like to do it soon. My wife will be coming down to see them shortly so we can do it then."

"Excellent, Mr Grey. They are doing very well. Oliver looks close to opening his eyes."

"Do you think so?" The nurse nods adamantly and I return my attention to my son. "Can you open your eyes for Daddy, Olly? Do you think you can do it for Mommy?"

The nurse walks off quietly. One of the things I like about the NICU is how caring and understanding the nurses are. They are here caring for a number of children 24/7, yet they make every experience personal and make sure the parents are comfortable as well. I will be making a large donation to the NICU once we are home and settled.

I kiss Oliver on the head before leaving. He already has that addictive baby smell about him. I walk into Ana's room to see her walking around with her mom. I had Taylor organise a flight for them but I didn't know they had arrived. I actually think my phone has run out of battery for the first time in my life.

"Hello, Carla," I greet as I walk over to her.

"Oh, Christian! I didn't see you there. It's lovely to see you but I'd rather it not be under these circumstances." She hugs me briefly while still holding on to Ana. I take her place and kiss Ana on the lips quickly before walking with her back to her bed.

"I feel the same. Did you have a good flight?"

"It was fine. Bob is down with Ray and some of your family in the waiting room. It seems some of them didn't leave."

I sigh. I did tell them to go home and rest but I could bet money that Mia stayed over and convinced Ethan to do the same.

"Any updates?" Ana asks.

"Olly held my finger earlier," I smile at her and she reciprocates. "I told them we'd finalise their names today and I would take you down to meet them."

Ana's eyes start to glass over and I kiss her. It's hard to hold myself back but I know I have to. I'll be waiting at least six weeks until I can get some from my gorgeous wife. That has got to be the worst part about having a baby, but I can handle it. I've done it twice before. Babies are worth the wait.

"Can we go now?"

"Have you eaten breakfast?"

Ana rolls her eyes_. Strike one_. "Yes, husband, I have."

"Then we can go." I help Ana into a wheelchair and start to push her out of the room. Carla follows awkwardly until Ana speaks up.

"Mom, this will be the first time I'm meeting my babies. I'd like it to be just Christian and me."

Realisation comes over Carla's face and she halts. "Sorry, baby, I'm just excited. I'll go give the others some news. Would you be up for visits later?"

"I think I would," Ana smiles softly.

"Okay, baby girl, I'll go tell them that too." Ana's mom kisses her head, lingering for a second to bathe her in motherly love. Ana is revelling in it and I know it's something she has missed. She will need that extra and special support right now.

* * *

I stand behind Ana's wheelchair as she stares at our daughter. She has one arm through the holes in the incubator and is gently stroking her arms and head.

We officially signed off on their names earlier. Oliver Christian and Imogen Anabelle. The nurses congratulated us and told us how sweet it was that they're named after us. One of them even cried when I explained Imogen's middle name to mean 'beautiful Ana'. I can't think of a better way to honour my wife.

"Ana?" One of the nurses gets her attention. My wife insisted that they call her by her given name if we're going to be spending so much time together. "Would you like to try and feed Oliver?"

Ana's eyes brighten and she quickly agrees. I wheel her over to Oliver's warmer and then the nurses direct me as to how to pick him up and transfer him to his mother. He is so light, it's unnerving. He has a little fat on him but still a lot less than I'm used to. I lower into Ana's awaiting arms and she moves him to her breast.

I unashamedly stare at Ana's chest. Her milk must have come in earlier, because wow. I know those aren't for my pleasure right now, but fuck me. I have never seen them that big. Ana stage coughs, and once I meet her eyes, she smirks at me. I am glad she can keep her mood up and she knows that I am still finding her incredibly attractive.

This moment isn't as private as we'd like it as there are nurses surrounding Ana, seeing if Olly can hit the milestone of eating on his own. I kneel down next to Ana and watch.

"Come on, Olly, you can do it. You can eat for Mommy." I hear Ana coo to our son. Oliver's little eyes open, and from what I can tell, they are gray for now. I'm getting teary again. Fuck, I've gotten soft. "Hey, there, little man," Ana keeps saying in her sing-song voice and holds his mouth to her nipple. He latches on and we wait with bated breath. He sucks, swallows and we can see his chest rise and fall.

"Well there it is, we have an eater. Well done, Oliver!" Nurse Amy congratulates. Ana and I grin at each other and then look back down.

"You're doing such a good job, little man," I say. I don't dare touch him now and distract his eating.

I wipe the tears from Ana's face as they silently fall down her cheeks. I kiss those incredibly soft lips and go back to kneeling.

We are distracted by the sudden eruption of loud alarms and flashing lights. The nurses abandon us and rush towards Imogen's incubator.

No.

No. No! NO!

Ana realises what's happening and her eyes are the widest I've seen them.

This can't be happening. Not my daughter. Not my baby girl.

I rush over to the group of doctors and nurses working on my child. I try to push through and see what's happening.

"Sir! Mr Grey! Please. You can't be here!" Someone is tugging on my arms and pulling me back. I try to fight them off and move forward but I feel more resistance. "Mr Grey! You need to let them work! It's better for her! There's nothing you can do right now, let them save her!"

_There's nothing you can do._

_Let them save her._

I can't do anything. I can't save her. The doctors can only do that. I lose my fight and allow myself to be dragged across the room. Someone sits me down in a chair and keeps their strong hand on my shoulder.

"Christian! What's going on? What's happening to her?!" I hear Ana scream. I see a nurse crouch near her and explain the situation.

All I can do it wait and watch the group of blue and white clad people who surround my daughter and yell medical jargon that I don't understand.


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Thanks for everything again! I had a ton of work for Uni due recently and no downtime. Thankfully my 4-day-weekend means writing time! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_Christian POV_

"Mr Grey."

I sit as still as a statue. My eyes focused solely on my daughter's incubator in the distance.

"Mr Grey!" The voice says again. Louder this time. My eyes follow the voice that is coming from a male nurse.

"Mr Grey, we need you to leave the room, the doctor would like to talk to you outside of the NICU."

"I'm not leaving my daughter," I mumble back. I don't sound like myself. I sound weak and defeated.

"It will only be for a minute, sir, I promise. Your wife is waiting for you."

I look around, and sure enough, I can't see Ana. The commotion around Imogen has lessened, but a doctor and a couple of nurses still mingle around her. I take this as a good sign. They wouldn't be there if she had died.

_Oh god. Died. I can't even think about that. I refuse to let her leave this earth. I've only known her for a day and parents are not supposed to outlive their children. _

A strong arm pulls at mine and drags me up until I am standing. As I walk out of the room I glance back at my daughter?

"She's alright, isn't she?" I ask the nurse.

"The doctor will explain everything to you in a minute, sir."

Ugh. I hate that. A simple yes or no would work in calming my goddamn nerves.

"And my son?"

"Your son fell asleep after being fed, sir, he is fine."

This nurse must be new, or from another department as I've never seen him before. That increases my anxiety. Did they need to bring down specialists for my daughter?!

As soon as I'm in the hall I rush over to Ana. Her face is blotchy and red and she just looks so sad. My poor baby. I crouch down next to her wheelchair and wrap my arms around her the best I can. Her head finds the crook in my neck and I can feel her tears dripping down slowly.

"Are you okay, baby?" I ask her in a whisper.

"The best I can be, I guess," she sniffles into my neck.

"Mr and Mrs Grey?" A deep, male voice asks. I haven't heard that voice before. I release Ana and stand behind her with my hands gripping her shoulders. The man standing before us is older and greying but has an air of strength about him. I like him immediately.

"What's going on?" I ask. I know Ana is too emotional to talk.

"I'm Doctor Weidler and I'm the paediatric pulmonologist for your daughter. The doctor concerned with her lungs and respiratory system."

Ana and I nod in understanding.

"We've diagnosed your daughter with respiratory distress syndrome. It is basically that her lungs are not working properly and she can't get enough oxygen. That's what caused those alarms, we realised that her breathing was becoming extremely laboured and her blood pressure also dropped. The paediatric cardiologist was called but we don't believe it's anything too serious. Back to her lungs, we've moved her feeding tube to her mouth so we could place a nasal cannula on her which will give her more oxygen."

I am overwhelmed. I'm relieved that they've been able to treat her, and that it's not as bad as it could be, but I am still upset over her illness. I just want to her to be okay. To hold her, kiss her, and tell her how much I love her.

"Will she be okay?" Ana asks in a soft voice.

"We are happy with how she is responding to treatment but with respiratory distress syndrome you really just have to wait it out. We also need to wait out her weight gain and temperature regulation, but overall we are positive." He gives a tight smile.

"How long will she be in there?" I ask.

"We don't know, I could be one week or four. It all depends on how she does. I'm sorry I can't give a set time."

I sigh and run a hand through my hair out of habit. My other hand notices the stress in Ana's shoulders so I lightly massage them.

"What about our son?"

"Oliver is doing well, Mr Grey. All he needs to do is gain some weight now."

"Great. Thank you."

"I'll get the nurse to send some informational pamphlets to your room so you can read all about her condition. I need to check on my other patients, but I will be around later to check on your daughter."

I nod, he nods back with a smile and then leaves.

I go back to crouching in front of Ana and she looks the same, just a little less blotchy.

"How are you now, baby?"

"A little better. It was kinda good news right?" She asks with her forehead all scrunched up in worry.

"Yeah, baby," I breathe out, "she's a strong baby, we just need to wait."

"What about you, Christian? How are you? I feel like such a shitty wife that I haven't even asked how you're doing." Her eyes fill with tears and I cup her face to comfort her.

"Ana, baby, I'm doing alright. Just trying to be strong for you and our babies." I kiss her softly on the mouth and linger there a moment.

"B…but…I just can't ignore how you feel…" the tears start streaming down her face again.

"Baby, baby, baby, shhh. It's alright." I wipe the tears from her cheeks and give her another kiss. "We're in this together. I'm worried about you, you've just had major surgery and now you're under so much stress. I promise I'm fine."

"O…O…Okay," she sniffles.

"Now do you want to go back in there or up to your room?"

"I want to see them."

"Whatever you want, baby."

We walk back into the NICU and over to Imogen's incubator. God she is so _tiny_. I can't get over it. I've never seen a baby this small. I have a feeling that Ana is feeling the same as I can see her eyes looking up and down her body, sometimes lingering on her tiny hands and feet.

"She's really small," Ana whispers.

"She'll get bigger, baby." I grasp her hand as we watch Imogen breathe.

"They always lose weight before they put it back on, right?"

"I'm not sure, but she will grow."

"Yeah," Ana sighs. I've never seen her like this. I'm not sure if she's sad over this or if it could be something more.

I hear the door open and shut but I don't turn my eyes away from Imogen. There are a number of babies in here whose parents could be visiting. Some of those babies are in a much worse condition, and even though I wish them well, I am thankful my twins are in better shape.

"How's she doing?" I hear in the loving tone of my mother just behind me.

"Mom," I choke out and hug her tightly. She's a little shocked by my embrace but holds me tightly after a second. I am so glad she's here. Being a paediatric doctor, I trust her opinion completely. She may not be able to work on Imogen and Oliver due to the family connection, but she can calm my nerves in an instant.

"I heard about what happened, Christian. I'm so glad she's okay." Mom rubs my back in soft circles. When I pull away she hugs Ana and whispers something in her ear. I'll have to ask about that later.

"We think she's going to be fine now," I say.

"They're both doing well. Christian Grey blood is strong blood." Mom smiles down at Imogen and puts her hand through the hole to stroke her arm. Imogen stirs a little but then relaxes. "Have you done some Kangaroo care?"

"No, what's that?" I ask as Ana shakes her head.

"Well it's putting the baby skin-to-skin with an adult. You've done it on your own with the other two, but this is the official name. It helps regulate body temperature and breathing."

"Oh, well can we do it? Even with the wires?"

"Of course, it's recommended. I'll just let the nurse know."

As mom is talking to the nurse, I help Ana with undoing her gown. Mom comes back with some long cloth that she hands to me.

I watch her slowly remove Imogen from the incubator, carefully readjusting her wires and tubes, and lay her on Ana's bare chest. Mom then takes the cloth and wraps them tightly together. Ana smiles down at our baby and keeps her hands on her small back. There are tears in her eyes from such a personal moment. Immy dozes on her mommy's chest and a nurse hands me a tiny pink hat. I gently place it on her head so the embroidered _Imogen_ is easily seen. I kiss her head and then kiss Ana. My girls.

"Christian, would you like to do it with Oliver?" Mom asks.

"Can I? I mean, I thought there was nothing wrong?" _Tell me there isn't something wrong._

"Oliver is fine, Christian, I wouldn't lie to you. It's just a nice way to bond like you've done before. And he's awake again so you may as well take advantage of that."

"Okay, sure."

A chair is moved next to Ana's wheelchair and I strip myself of my sweater and t-shirt. I'm thankful we're near the end of the room, away from the other babies and parents so no one can see my scars. Mom comes over with Oliver and I help her place him comfortably on me. She just drapes him with a blanket which I hold on his back.

"Hey, Oliver, I'm your daddy," I say softly to him. He blinks a few times. "I'm so glad you're okay, little buddy. I can't wait for you to come home. And for you to meet your big brother Teddy and big sister Phoebe. They really excited. And all your grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. You're so loved. Both of you. I can't imagine life without you. I love you so much."

I lean down and kiss his head. I love the feeling of his warm little body against mine. Breathing in unison. I just love him so much.

I look over quickly at Ana who is just watching Imogen. I see Mom sneaking a photo of the two of them, and then I look down at Oliver again as she takes one of me and him. Always documenting.

I close my eyes and find solace in the fact that things can only improve from here.


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy, just using its characters to fuel my own imaginative writing.**

**A/N: Sorry for neglecting this story! More will come after the 26****th****. Hope this is okay.**

* * *

_Ana POV_

The twins are a week old today and I am finally being discharged from the hospital. It's bittersweet. I'm glad to be leaving because I hate it here, but I'm sad that my babies won't be coming home with me.

Due to some exhaustion, and I'm sure some Christian Grey bribing, I've been kept in the hospital until today. Not even the doctors can make up an excuse for me to stay any longer, so it's back home for me.

The twins will be staying here for an indeterminate amount of time. Oliver is doing great and now has no troubles. He could come home with us but the hospital is trialling a care technique where they sleep together. Imogen has improved greatly since they started so we're hoping that we'll soon be taking them both home.

Teddy and Phoebe know the twins exist and have seen them, but haven't properly met them. Children aren't allowed in the NICU so they've seen them through a window. It makes me so sad that they haven't met their siblings.

Grace is trying to pull some strings with the staff to let them up here when Christian and the kids come to collect me after they finish school. Imogen's breathing has settled now and Oliver is as normal as can be, so I don't see why not.

I can hear my little princess's voice carry down the hall as they make their way to my room. She can be so loud and bossy. I smile to myself because being home means I can spend so much more time with them. I've missed my first two babies so much this past week.

"No, Phoebe. Let Daddy open the door," I hear Christian say before the door opens.

"MAMA!" Phoebe squeals before running to my bed and holding her arms up. She expects me to pick her up but that's impossible with my incision. "Help, Mama!" she demands before Christian lightly chastises her and picks her up to settle her on the bed.

"Careful with Mommy, Phoebe."

"I knoooooow," she whines before crawling on her hands and knees to my side. "Hi, Mama." She grins right at me and it warms my heart.

"Hey, baby," I say and pull her towards me for a cuddle.

"You comin' home with us, Mama?"

"I am. What do you think about that?"

"I like it. I missed playing with you."

"I missed you too, bug. Teddy?"

"Yeah, Mom?" I hear his little voice from the left side of my bed. Christian is standing behind him with his arms over his chest. Teddy is leaning back into his dad and seems quite content. Such a daddy's boy sometimes.

"Are you going to come over and give your old mom a hug?" I ask.

He hesitates. "I don't want to hurt you."

"If you're gentle you won't hurt her, buddy," Christian reassures him and helps him up onto the bed.

My not-so-baby bear lies on my free side and puts an arm around me. I'm a mother of four now. It's a hard fact to accept.

"How was school, Teddy bear?"

"Gooooood, I spelled lots of stuff." Christian chuckles at that.

After Christian finally gives me a hello kiss we settle into our normal chattering while we wait for my discharge papers. Teddy is telling bad jokes and Phoebe is giggling so loud at them. I can't help but be brought in to their laugh fest by her infectious giggle. Christian is smiling indulgently. The only thing he likes better than Phoebe's giggle is mine.

A knock on the door startles us all and I watch my mother-in-law enter the room.

"Gramma!" Teddy squeals and tries to get off the bed.

"Stay there, darling boy. I just need your daddy and then we'll be back real soon." Christian chastely kisses me on the lips and meets him mom at the door. I hope my gut feeling is right.

* * *

Grace enters the room and orders Teddy and Phoebe off the bed. She situates them in the seats next to my bed and helps me to sit up. I like to think I don't need help, but that pesky cut is still giving me grief.

Grace crouches in front of the kids and gives them her best stern grandmother look.

"Now, I need you two to be very quiet and still okay? You're about to meet some very special people and you need to be very careful around them."

"Olly and Immy?!" Phoebe squeals.

"Yes, darling. You can't squeal like that when they come in though. Do you remember when your cousin Eden came along and you had to be very quiet and gentle?"

Ted and Phe nod.

"Well you need to be the same now, alright?"

"Okay, Grandma," they both chant.

Grace gets back up, winks at me, then walks to the door. She opens it and Christian wheels in a plastic crib on wheels. Standard hospital gear.

As he carefully wheels it towards me, he lifts his head and smiles. It's so full of love and happiness.

Phoebe is bouncing in her seat with excitement. She's been nagging and whining about meeting them all week.

"Phoebe, calm down," I scold and she stops immediately.

As the crib is stopped next to my bed I take a look at my sleeping babies. Dressed and wrapped on blue and pink, they are lying alert next to each other.

"Oliver and Imogen have come to say hello," Christian whispers to me and I'm trying my best not to cry.

This is all so overwhelming. All my children finally in the same room. The babies are no longer covered in wires. They look like healthy babies, albeit a little smaller than I'm used to.

Christian picks up a nursing pillow first and situates is around my waist. He then picks up Imogen and places her in my awaiting arms, resting her on the pillow.

"Hey, baby girl," I coo softly. Her bright grey eyes look up at me and I smile. So beautiful. I kiss her tiny forehead before Christian places Oliver next to her. They have the same eyes and are instantly calm next to each other. It's an amazing sight.

I keep staring at my babies while I hear Christian talk to the kids.

I look up and see Christian hold Teddy around the waist as he stands on the chair and pick up Phoebe in his other arm.

"The one in pink is your baby sister Imogen, and the one in blue is your baby brother Oliver," he says softly to them. "Oliver and Imogen, meet your big brother Theodore and your big sister Phoebe."

"They're so little," Teddy whispers.

"They are, buddy. But they'll grow and be big and strong like you."

"Can I hold one?" Phoebe asks.

"Not right now, bug. When they come home you can."

"Are they comin' home with us now?"

"No, baby. They have to stay in the hospital a little while longer," Christian says with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Why?"

_Oh, the never ending questions._

"Because they were born too early and need some help," he explains.

I don't expect Teddy and Phoebe to really understand that their siblings were premature.

I look up to Teddy staring down at Imogen who is closest to him. He glances at me before putting his finger in her hand. She grasps it tightly in reflex and he laughs.

"She's holding my hand, Mom!" He exclaims.

"She is, Teddy. I bet she will love to hold your hand lots more but we need to be quiet, okay?" I remind him.

"Oh yeah." He looks down self-consciously.

I smile at him to make sure he knows he's not in trouble. Phoebe has gone silent. I think it's finally hitting her that she isn't the youngest anymore. There are new babies in the house and I will not be surprised if she ends up becoming very jealous. With her temperament that could end up quite bad.

"What's he doing now?" Teddy asks.

I look down at Oliver and see that he's rooting for my breast. Little man must be hungry. I'm hesitant to feed him right now with Ted and Phoebe just there, but they've got to get used to it. I'll be doing this all the time at home.

"He's hungry, Teddy."

"What's he gonna eat? We didn't bring any food," he says, puzzled. Christian is stifling his laughter. "What's so funny, Dad?"

"He breastfeeds, Ted," I say.

"What's that?"

"He drinks milk from Mommy's breasts."

Teddy scrunches up his face in disgust.

"Ted! Don't look so shocked. Your mom fed you like that too when you were a baby," Christian chuckles.

"Really?!"

"Of course. Phoebe, too," I say before trying to manoeuvre myself to feed my hungry son.

"Let me help you, baby," Christian says before placing Phoebe back on the ground. He picks up Imogen and ushers Teddy off the chair, sitting where his feet used to be. I lift my shirt and unsnap my nursing bra and guide Oliver to my nipple. I feel him latch on and my milk let down and I'm overcome with a sense of accomplishment. I was told this was going to be difficult but I've been lucky. Grey babies must have a genetic code in them which means they love to eat.

"That's so weird," Ted says while watching.

"You're going to have to get used to it, son. Babies eat a lot," Christian tells him. There's still humour in his voice.

"They do?"

"Yes, every few hours." Imogen cries out at something and Christian tries to calm her. "They cry a lot, too."

"Really?"

"Yes, Ted."

Phoebe gets up from her seat on the floor and stands by her dad. "She has eyes like me," she comments.

"She does, bug. Both my girls have daddy's eyes," Christian says before kissing them both on the head. It's too sweet for my hormone ravaged body. Tears spring to my eyes but I bite them back.

"What colour are Oliver's eyes, Mommy?" Teddy asks.

"They're grey too, buddy," I tell him and his face falls. I guess he thought because they were both boys, they'd have the same eye colour. "You and I have the same eyes, Bear, you're just like mommy. You're special," I whisper and wink at him and he smiles.

* * *

Once I'd finished feeding Oliver, Imogen needed a go. She didn't feed for long but she's improving.

We then got the call that it was time to go. Christian and I succumbed to a tearful goodbye and the kids kissed their siblings before Grace had to take them back.

"Ready, baby?" Christian asks and I nod. He helps me into the hospital forced wheelchair.

"Can I ride with you, Mama?" Phoebe asks.

"How about you hold my hand and walk?"

"Ooookaaaaay."

As travel down the hallway to the exit, tears are coming again. I don't want to leave without my babies, but I have to. I have two other children to care for, and who need me. I'll come back tomorrow. And the next. Until the day comes when I can bring my twins home for good.


End file.
